Fleeting Glimpses
by Moo Moo plus Cow
Summary: A series of glimpses into alternate universes. Short stories and ideas that scramble for dominance in my brain.
1. Obsession

Once upon a time, Kirino used to talk about her brother.

We became fast friends at a young age, Kirino and I. We lived close by to each other and our mothers were acquaintances from their teenage years. We attended _youchien_ – kindergarten – together and saw each other nearly every day, right through until middle school. Being best friends, there was nothing we didn't know about the other.

Or so I thought. I eventually found out that I couldn't have been more wrong.

She used to always talk about her _onii-chan_. It was clear that she cared for him very deeply. I remember growing jealous, for I do not have any siblings and could not understand. The things she used to tell me, how he'd play with her whenever she wanted, how he'd comfort her when she was feeling sad – they were things I wanted for myself. Being an only child, I found myself lonely at times.

And then, without warning, she stopped talking about him.

In fact, she stopped talking about him for so long that I even forgot she _had_ a brother to begin with. I don't know why – and I still don't – but the one time I asked her about it, she had grown angry, so I never asked her again. I didn't like Kirino being angry, after all.

Despite being best friends, I rarely visited her house. Most of the time, she visited mine. The few times over the years that I did, he was never around – and thus, he practically vanished from my memory.

It wasn't until that faithful day, when Kanako and I visited, that I first laid eyes on her _onii-chan_. He was cute – _is_ cute – I can admit, but not exceptionally so. Just an average guy, as Kanako had said in that disdainful way of hers. Nothing special at all. But I still exchanged numbers with him, since he seemed like a really kind person. Even with the compromising position he got himself into, I never felt he had done such a thing on purpose.

Then I found out about Kirino's hobby, and everything changed after that.

I couldn't believe it, at first. I refused to believe it. Smart, beautiful, athletic Kirino – she would never read such _disgusting_ comics. But the proof was right in front of me, irrefutable evidence of her hidden life.

We worked everything out in due time, in large part because of her brother. He gave me someone to blame, someone to take my anger out on. He went from being the reasonably cute _onii-chan_ of my best friend to the vile, perverted beast that had corrupted my dear Kirino. And I had fallen for it.

It was later that I figured out what he had done. He had willingly sacrificed his standing with me, had ruined his image – all for his little sister.

That was around the time that she started talking about him once again.

And when I started noticing the way she looked at him, when she thought no one else was looking.

Her mouth spewed insults that he took in stride, yet the moment his attention was drawn elsewhere, her face would soften, eyes carrying not hate, but something far more sinister. I had mistaken it as sisterly affection at first, something harmless and normal. They had their differences but they were still brother and sister, they were still family.

But the more I discovered about her hobby, the more I doubted my own assumption. The looks continued, far more frequently she would talk about him – about the things he had done for her. Then one day, she had left me alone in her room after showing me some of her collectables, her secret hiding spot exposed to my curious eyes. Her mother had called her downstairs and in her haste, the brunette had forgotten to close it. A rather plain box in the back had caught my eye, drawing me in with its rather innocent exterior. It looked out of place amongst all the colourful video-game boxes and miniature figurines.

What I found inside had cemented my growing suspicion beyond my expectations.

Dozens – no, more like hundreds of pictures were stacked inside. Most of them were old, but a sizable portion of them were newer – yet they all contained one common theme. Slightly alarmed, I had sifted through the photos, yet no matter how deep I dug, the same face peered up at me. He wasn't always alone. Sometimes he was with his parents, or with other members of his extended family. And sometimes he was with Kirino. Those were older, before their teenage years – he was quite short, while Kirino's hair was dark brown instead of light. And then there were the ones where he was unaware that his photo was being taken.

Watching a movie in the lounge.

Drinking something in the kitchen.

Walking down the street with a girl who had short brown hair and glasses.

Eating dinner at the table.

I had stared in disbelief as they got worse.

In some, he was fast asleep in his bedroom.

In others... he was in various states of undress.

Little hearts were drawn on some. Confessions of love on others.

"Oh my god," I had whispered. It was beyond anything I had ever dreamed of.

I suspected a crush, perhaps a little bit more – but never to this extent.

And now here I was, sitting on my best friend's bedroom floor, gazing down in shock at the completely nude form of Kousaka Kyousuke as he showered.

"P-Please don't tell him."

I nearly screamed, my heart almost bursting as I leapt to my feet. Kirino was in the doorway, shaking in terror, looking like she was about to start crying at any moment.

I dropped the photo as if it had burned me, backing away frantically. The crazed look on her face was frightening, her desperation clear.

The door shut with a soft click.

It was then that I learned obsession was a dangerous thing.

OoOoO

**A message from the Cow: **Basically, this is just a place where I can dump any small idea that pops into my head. Some of these snippets won't be very long, but some might turn out to be quite lengthy. All depends on the idea, I suppose. This one takes a few things from the Visual Novel that was released for the PSP.


	2. Unexpected Sight

"K-Kyousuke-shi!"

Kyousuke stared somewhat dumbfounded.

"Y-You shouldn't walk in on people getting dressed, you k-know!"

He blinked stupidly for a few moments, before shutting the door quietly.

As was the norm lately, Kuroneko and Saori were keeping the upperclassman company after school. Since Kirino had left for America, he couldn't help but admit that he was rather lonely without his boisterous little _otaku_ sister. He still hated her guts – or so he kept claiming to anyone that would listen, which often included himself; an unhealthy habit – but an undeniable void had opened up in his life since her abrupt departure. It was plain as day that Kuroneko felt the same way. Try as she might, her tough act was fooling no one. Saori, though – she was much harder to read. That was until her little outburst in his bedroom the other day.

Perhaps she was feeling it worse than all of them. Admittedly, he had been rather surprised at her emotional display.

He couldn't recall ever seeing the tall girl genuinely troubled. Hardship seemingly parted before her good will and cheerful nature. He often thought of her as the spine of their little group. She would hold them up when they were down and help them back to their feet, shouldering their burdens for them if they needed it.

Maybe he'd thought of her as invincible.

And it looked like he couldn't have been further from the truth.

But she was good at hiding it. Really good. After that little slip, it was business as usual for her.

He knew there was more to it than that, though. He just couldn't figure out what.

The door opened.

"Kyousuke-shi, you pervert," Saori teased with a smirk, though her cheeks were unusually rosy. Her typical outfit was absent, resting on the bathroom floor in a heap. From his position, he could make out the juice stains on the flannel shirt and jeans, the reason for her current attire. Kyousuke had borrowed a skirt from his mother for the girl to wear, while loaning her one of his own shirts for the time being while they put her clothes through the wash. Whatever left over clothes Kirino had seen fit to leave behind were just no good, Saori's figure much too voluptuous for the garments to fit with any sort of comfort.

It was a fact that Kyousuke often overlooked, her ridiculous _otaku_ assemble detracting from the obvious – that she had the body of a goddess. How a fifteen year-old girl could boast a body like that was beyond him, and what was even more baffling was that she hid it underneath such unflattering clothes.

She retained her odd glasses, though – the strange specs resting on her face innocently.

But that hadn't been the case a moment ago.

His brief bout of idiocy – honestly, who opens the bathroom door without announcing themselves when they _know_ someone is dressing inside? – revealed to his eyes a very stark reality.

Saori was _hot_.

It really shouldn't have been that much of a shock. With a body like that, it was expected, and what parts of her face he could normally see were not unattractive – but those large, silly looking glasses, like the shirt and pants – did a remarkable job at concealing certain truths. Seeing her without glasses for the first time...

...it blew him away.

"Kyousuke-shi?" she questioned. "Are you alright?"

Her hair was hanging free, another difference. It was no longer restricted by hair ties and flowed down over her shoulders in an elegant curtain of silk.

"Why do you wear those glasses?" he blurted, startling himself and the young girl in front of him. "Sorry," he apologised, rubbing his neck. "That didn't come out right."

The tall girl looked away timidly, a nervous smile stretching her lips as she blushed even more. "It's okay."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"You have really pretty eyes," he said, looking horrified a second later. Another bad habit of his was talking without thinking.

But he couldn't stop thinking about those bluish grey orbs, sparkling as they stared at him in shock at his sudden entrance.

"I thought you liked glasses," she replied, grinning at him shyly and sounding strangely formal – an odd sight, to be sure. She seemed like a completely different person, more refined and lady-like.

Kyousuke chuckled with embarrassment, remembering that she knew his secret thanks to Kirino. "I do," he admitted slowly, growing flustered. "But they should enhance eyes – not hide them."

"Oh,"

Slowly, she reached up and removed them from her face, revealing once again her beautiful gaze. Kyousuke blinked, shocked at her unexpected move – and very nearly flew into a panic attack when she swiftly stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Wha-" he said dumbly, stumbling back. Saori smiled at him radiantly, eyes soft.

"Thank you," she said, replacing her glasses quickly, much to his inner disappointment. "No one has ever said that before."

"What is taking you two so long?" Kuroneko's soft voice called from up the stairs, plainly irritated. "If it's anything perverted, I'll curse you for life."

Saori giggled, before answering loudly – her usual informal manner of speaking returning full force. "Oh Kuroneko-shi, you naughty girl – thinking of such lewd things."

Kyousuke watched blankly as the tall girl jogged up the stairs and out of sight, his cheek tingling pleasantly where her lips had briefly touched.

"What just happened..." he uttered finally, bending down to collect her dirty clothes.

One thing was for sure; he wouldn't be forgetting this any time soon.

OoOoO

**Moocow: **Just a short little piece with Saori, since she doesn't get much love. I seem to get a lot of people asking why I rate my stories 'M'. Just being safe, that's all – I never know what I may write, you know?


	3. Ambushed

The sound of his phone ringing brought Kyousuke to a halt, Manami pausing beside him as he rummaged through his inner pockets. Retrieving his phone, he flipped it open and peered at the screen, the familiar name of one of his classmates blinking at him periodically.

"Kyou-chan," Manami began, tilting her head. "Who is it?"

"Akagi-san," he replied, clicking on the message. Then he blinked, rather confused.

The brown-haired girl peeked over his shoulder, reading the rather short message with a growing concern.

_Meet me at the Games Research Club room. Come alone._

"What do you think he wants?" she questioned, watching Kyousuke closely. He merely shrugged, having absolutely no idea whatsoever.

"Who knows," he sighed, pocketing his cell phone and turning back towards the school. "Go on ahead. I better go see what he wants."

Manami watched worriedly as he left, though she wasn't sure why.

The school was mostly deserted by the time he reached the classroom that housed the Game Research Club. It was eerily silent as he reached for the handle, the door easily sliding to the side as he entered. Everything looked the same as it had that very morning, when the club had come together before school to discuss their latest project. Glancing around the empty room once, twice and a third time, he sighed before taking a seat at the table, his bag falling to the floor with a muffled thump.

It looked like he was alone for the time being.

_I wonder what he wants,_ he thought, idly drumming his fingers on the hard surface of the table.

While they were considered friends, they didn't hang out as much as they probably should. They mostly talked at school or over the phone, and that was about it. Kyousuke really didn't have a clue what this could be about, especially as he'd just seen the young man in class before the final bell of the day. He hadn't shown any signs of wanting to meet up then. What had changed?

"He better hurry up," Kyousuke grumbled, chin in hand. "I want to go home."

Five minutes trickled by, then ten, the youth becoming increasingly agitated as time wore on.

"That's it," he snapped, pulling out his phone and selecting Akagi's name from his contacts. Holding the device to his ear, he huffed as it began ringing – then froze, heart skipping a beat. A jaunty tune played behind him, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Leaping from his chair, Kyousuke spun around, coming face to face with-

"Sena-san?" he half-shouted in fright, calming down instantly when his brain caught up with his mouth. Flicking his phone closed, he discarded it on the table and frowned at the younger girl. "What are you doing here?"

She was standing in the doorway, eyes shadowed by her shoulder length red hair. Still dressed in her school uniform, she peered up at him through her glasses and curtain of hair like some sort of predator, a small mischievous smile tugging at her lips. She was hugging herself loosely, her arms pressing her well-developed breasts together, making them look even larger. Kyousuke swallowed nervously at the sight, eyes quickly darting down to look before he tore his gaze away. For a first year, she was coming along quite nicely – leaps ahead of Kuroneko or even his sister in that department.

When she didn't answer, he frowned, hands on hips. "Look, where is your brother? I'm supposed to be meeting him here."

In response, she held up a very familiar phone.

"Why do you have Akagi-san's phone?" he questioned rather densely, before clicking. "Wait a second – were you the one that sent me tha-"

He never got to finish.

The door cracked against the frame as the girl slammed it shut behind her, startling the upperclassman. Striding forward with purpose, all he could manage was a panicked yelp as her warm, soft body collided with his. Falling back on the table, he winced as his head bounced off the hard surface, stars blinding his vision for a moment. Sprawled out and dazed, he was ill prepared when the younger girl straddled him, her moist lips claiming his own.

He tried to struggle, hands gripping her shapely hips firmly and attempting to lift her off – but that only made her moan, knees digging into his sides as she bit his lip sensually. Caught off guard by the reaction, he could do nothing as she began kissing him passionately, tongue slipping by his now parted lips and tickling his own. He responded without thought, one hand leaving her curves and tangling itself in her soft hair, drawing the girl closer. She whimpered, her pelvis rolling against him and drawing a rather pleased groan from his throat.

They continued like this for a few minutes, rutting and making out, her hot mouth now attacking his neck. Eyes closed, he cradled Sena's body against him, his trapped arousal pressed against her moist panties lewdly; every time her hips bucked she would tense, trembling all over. Panting with desire, he rolled them both over, taking charge. He tore her uniform open without care, eyes feasting on her young skin and bra-clad breasts. She gazed up at him with unfocused eyes, glasses askew, looking so undeniably sexy that he wanted to ravage her until she couldn't speak.

"Kousaka-senpai," she moaned, looping her arms around his neck.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, gaining a modicum of control. She tried to pull him down but he fought against her, awaiting her answer.

"I can't stop thinking about you," she admitted, licking her swollen lips hungrily. "Every night I dream about you."

"But I thought you dreamt about me with other guys,"

"I did," she wrapped her slender legs around his waist, pulling him tight against her. She groaned as his hardness once against pressed against her wetness. "But that changed."

The feelings were too much to fight any longer and he lowered himself, burying his face in her cleavage. She arched her back when he nipped at her sweaty skin, a surprised cry escaping her. Writhing in agonizing pleasure, she bit her lip as he pried her bra from her body, exposing her hardened nipples to the cool air of the classroom. Capturing one of the hard peaks in his mouth, she nearly screamed.

"Do you like that?" he whispered rather smugly. She nodded rapidly, fingers tied up in his raven locks as he attacked her sensitive tits.

"More," she pleaded. "Please more."

"Of course,"

And while he complied with her requests, drowning his _kouhai_ in a sea of lust, a pair of wide, astonished eyes watched in secret, unable to look away.


	4. A Day at the Beach

Kyousuke didn't go to the beach very often. It wasn't that he couldn't swim – for that was an area he was fairly competent in – nor was it the irritating feeling of loose sand getting inside his trunks that kept the young student away. It wasn't the massive crowds either, or the sometimes overpowering sun that could very easily burn you if you weren't careful. No, it was none of these things.

The reason Kyousuke didn't go to the beach very often was because often times, he had no one else to go with. Manami accompanied him on occasion, though she rarely – if ever – entered the water beyond her knees, instead choosing to seat herself under an umbrella and read. Swimming was not one of her strong points, by far. Sometimes he had come with Akagi, but the other boy had an annoying habit of ditching him halfway through, normally using his younger sister Sena-san as an excuse. He wasn't too sure why his fellow classmate never invited his sister along as well, but he suspected it had something to do with the siscon not wanting his sister half-naked in front of Kyousuke.

Overprotective? Yeah, that was Akagi, all right.

But Kyousuke couldn't blame him too much, because as the raven-haired teen glanced around, some of the swimsuits he saw revealed massive amounts of skin. Even though he hated Kirino – he did! _He did!_ – he wasn't sure how he'd react if he saw her wearing something like that.

Like that girl several meters away, dressed in a rather small yellow two-piece bikini...

Going alone sucked, but it was such a nice day that he decided to bite the bullet, so to speak, even if it was rather lonely.

Kyousuke began to walk away, adjusting the sunglasses that rested on his head while searching for an ideal spot amongst the masses, when he stopped cold, sweat trickling down his chest. Face a mask of disbelief, he turned very slowly, beach bag slipping from his shoulder and landing on the sand with a muffled thump. He blinked several times, unsure that the scene in front of him was a part of reality.

It was.

The girl in the yellow bikini was...!

"Kyaa~!" the unmistakable voice of Kirino called as she struck a pose, a pose that Kyousuke considered rather provocative. Hip cocked, a slender arm held out in front of her, she pointed towards the water with a beaming smile, a girl on either side following her example.

Kyousuke could only stare as they began a little dance, drawing the eyes of many. On Kirino's right was Ayase; who unlike her spirited friend, was wearing a blue and white one-piece suit that suited her pale complexion nicely. Nevertheless, it hugged her developing body in all the right ways, the blue skirt stitched into the suit flaring as she moved, showing off a rather shapely behind. On the other side of Kirino was their other friend, Kanako, dressed in a bright red, two piece bikini much like his sister. While her curves were more subtle, there was no denying her attractiveness as she moved in sync with her model friends.

Bizarre didn't even begin to describe it.

Forcing his gaze away from the enticing sight – and here Kyousuke felt like a lowly pervert, thinking his _sister_ and her friends were enticing, truth be damned – he took a deep, shuddering breath. They hadn't seen him yet, so he could slip away unmolested and enjoy a day of glorious sun... on his own... alone...

"God," he muttered, picking up his bag. "I'm pathetic."

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

Kyousuke suffered a small aneurism when Kirino spoke and nearly collapsed on the spot, bag once more slipping from his grasp and hitting the ground. Having finished their little act, the girls were now surrounding him – how they moved so quickly and without notice, he would never know.

"What are _you_ doing here, _hentai_?" Ayase was next, anger in her voice.

"Who is this guy?" Kanako finished, her simple words somehow more hurtful than the insulting comments of the other two girls.

Then again, he had only met the girl twice – and that was as two separate people. It was expected, he supposed.

He decided to answer Ayase, careful to maintain eye contact and not look anywhere else, no matter how tempting her small, budding cleavage was, the pale, silken skin calling out his nam-

"To swim," he answered bluntly, almost shouting and startling the three teen girls. Calming himself, he picked his bag up for a second time. "How about you guys?"

"None of your business," Kirino snapped, glaring at him. Kyousuke sighed.

"Yeah, yeah," he waved as he started to move away. "Have fun."

Before he could take more than a few steps, Kirino latched onto his wrist and pulled him back. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Wha-"

"Onii-san," Ayase piped up, giving him a stern look. "How could you just walk away and leave your poor, defenceless little sister and her friends alone with all these men about?"

Kanako remained silent, looking at her two friends as if they'd lost their minds.

Kyousuke looked around and indeed, a large number of men _were_ checking out the three young girls – something that surprisingly pissed him off, especially when they gazed at his _sister_ – but they'd come here on their own in the first place. Why the sudden change in attitude? And he knew for a fact that they were not defenceless, not at all. He felt like pointing out that perhaps they had caused it with their little dance but thought better of it, valuing his health.

"You are coming with us," Kirino decided, nodding. "Hurry up and carry our stuff."

Kyousuke sagged when he saw the mountain of gear they had brought with them. Towels, umbrellas, several sets of clothes, and was that a portable DVD player!

"Wait a sec-" he started to protest then stopped.

They'd already walked away, leaving him alone with their stuff. He was half tempted to walk away also and leave everything there, unprotected; but then he sighed in annoyance, walking over the pile. Why couldn't he be an asshole, just this once?

"I'm so whipped," he muttered, shouldering the umbrellas and hugging everything else to his chest. Adjusting the weight, he started off in their direction, watching as the three talked excitedly about something he couldn't quite catch. Following them like a loyal pup, he settled down in the spot they picked, the girls not even sparing him a glance as they rushed into the water, laughing all the while. Setting out their stuff in a somewhat neat manner and erecting the umbrellas, he opted to lay out his towel in the sun and decided to stay on the beach for the time being.

Sitting, he pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and began applying it to his arms, shoulders and chest. That task done, he laid back, eyes closed, the warmth of the sun lulling him into a half-sleep, the surrounding sounds blending together as everyone else went about their business. He had to admit, he hadn't felt so relaxed in months.

And of course, it wouldn't last.

He almost – _almost_ – shrieked like a little girl when Kanako dumped a bottle of freezing water on his head, but managed to strangle it into a manly sounding grunt. Bolting upright, he scrambled away rapidly, kicking up sand as he attempted retreat via crabwalk. He was sure he looked ridiculous.

"Cold!" he yelped, glaring at the tiny girl. "What the hell was that for?"

Kanako smirked at him and held up a small bottle. "I need someone to rub this lotion on my back,"

Kyousuke blinked, reading the label. Tanning oil?

"What does that have to do with me?" he asked, dreading the answer. The small girl rolled her eyes at him.

"I can't reach my back," she explained slowly, as if he were a dimwit. "So help me."

He just stared at her in disbelief. "Can't Kirino or Ayas-"

"They are busy," she interrupted, tapping her foot. "Well?" she growled, becoming annoyed. "Hurry up!"

"Are you sure that you want me-"

"Now!"

Kyousuke grunted in annoyance, taking the bottle from her. He waited for Kanako to lie down on her front, arms folded to prop up her head, before shuffling over awkwardly. Preparing himself, he popped the cap and squeezed a sizeable amount onto her lower back, causing the tiny girl to jump.

"C-Cold!" she yelped, repeating his shout from earlier.

Ignoring the way she developed goose bumps, he nervously began rubbing the lotion into her skin, immediately noticing how soft she was. Rubbing a bit harder, he made sure he applied it evenly, trying to ignore the way his hands glided effortlessly over her small body. Gathering a bit more lotion, he started on her upper back and shoulders, drawing out a groan that went straight to his groin. Biting his lip, he attempted to calm himself with deep breathing as he massaged the oil into her skin, perhaps a bit _too_ well. She began squirming, cute little sounds coming from her mouth. Boldly and without reason, he moved down to her sides, brushing against her sensitive ribs, and the way her entire frame shivered almost broke his resolve.

"More," she mewled when he pulled away, before coughing roughly. "I-I mean, can you do my legs as well?"

Kyousuke swallowed thickly, glancing around quickly to make sure no one was looking.

As soon as his oiled hands came in contact with her thigh, she started to tremble all over again. He pressed his fingers in harder, drawing deep, rumbling groans from the twin-tailed teen. Kyousuke found it hard to breathe, chest tight as he continued higher, and higher, his thumb tracing small circles over her inner thigh. Kanako was panting now and Kyousuke watched as if in a trance as she raised her hips, back arcing, her covered crotch lightly bumping his knuckles.

"Please," she whispered hoarsely and all the blood in Kyousuke's body felt like it ran south, for he felt incredibly light headed. "Please."

"I-" he began, jaw clenched. "We can't."

"Now!" she growled, turning to look at him. She was biting her lip, eyes desperate as she urged him on.

He hadn't seen a sexier sight in his entire life.

He made a quick decision.

"Not here," he said, standing up. She looked at him, confused and needy and looking decidedly vulnerable in her tiny bikini. The next words that left his mouth sounded entirely too calm, as if it wasn't Kyousuke at all speaking them. "Let's go somewhere more private."

It wouldn't be for another fifteen minutes that Kirino or Ayase noticed Kanako's continued absence, and even longer for them to notice Kyousuke's disappearance as well. By that time, the pair was long gone.

OoOoO

**A message from the Cow: **It's pretty easy to see what inspired this. The first time I saw the new opening for the web episodes, that scene really jumped out at me, probably because it was completely unexpected.


	5. A Dress for All Occasions

The first time Kyousuke saw Kirino in a wedding dress, it was because of her modelling.

They were supposed to be going to a concert in the evening, long after her photo shoot was meant to be over, but real life didn't always work out the way you wanted it too. Instead of finishing at two in the afternoon, it kept being extended until Kirino knew she was going to be late. She sent a message to her brother, explaining; then went back to work. There was nothing she could do.

Ten minutes later, Kyousuke arrived on a perverted bike – even worse than the one he had ridden from Akihabara, if that were even possible! – out of breath, and wearing a suit, having just left Kanako and Ayase and being the wanna-be idols manager. He looked stupid, he knew, covered in leaves and sweat, but everything left his mind when he caught sight of his sister.

Perhaps it was then, that he truly knew. Maybe not. Maybe it was earlier than this, but he couldn't deny what he felt when he saw her, decked out in pink and white, hair pulled back in a bun with a rose putting the finishing touches on the look.

He was blown away. Gob smacked. Rendered speechless.

In the past, he had grudgingly accepted that she was cute, pretty even. This was on an entirely different level.

There was no _way_ his sister could be this... _beautiful__**.**_

They had attended the concert, or what was left of it, anyway. They had to rip her dress so she could fit on the bike, but she looked no less stunning. It might have even enhanced the look, revealing her legs to his stunned eyes.

He considered it one of his fondest memories.

The second time Kyousuke saw Kirino in a wedding dress, it was not such a happy occasion.

Perhaps that wasn't the right wording. The only person who wasn't happy was Kyousuke himself. He was sure everyone else was overcome with joy.

His little sister was getting married.

He should have been happy for her, elated that she had found someone she could spend the rest of her life with, have children with, and share her most intimate secrets with. Their parents had been, taking an instant shine to the young man who captured Kirino's heart. Anyone that earned the approval of his strict, overprotective father should have been a-okay in Kyousuke's book.

But it just made him feel sick.

Every time he saw the handsome man and his tailored suits and winning smile, he felt like ramming his fist through those oh-so-perfect teeth. For one not prone to violence, he often felt the need to express such tendencies when in then company of this man, for he just could not accept him.

Not when he felt the way he did.

Not when he loved his little sister.

The reception afterwards was the stage of his biggest regret. Taking his sister aside, he confessed all the feelings he had kept bottled inside for years, telling her everything, despite the fact she had only gotten married hours before. And then, in a moment of utter stupidity, he had tried to force a kiss on her.

Suffice it to say, that was the end of the relationship – as brother and sister. The following slap had been the most painful thing he had ever experienced, both emotionally and physically. Being disowned by his parents didn't even come close, though her husband beating the snot out of him had come close in the physical department.

That had been the lowest point of Kyousuke's life, by far.

The third time Kyousuke saw Kirino in a wedding dress, it wasn't really Kirino at all.

It had been many years since Kyousuke had stepped foot in Japan, easier to count the time in decades. It had been fifty-five years since Kirino's wedding and his most painful moment, and he hadn't seen nor heard from his family since that time. His parents were long dead, the ravages of time taking their toll. He suspected someone probably tried to contact him, attempting to mend broken fences, as they say – but they wouldn't have been able to find him. He'd been off the radar for a good while, never really stopping anywhere longer than he had to. Even Manami, his closest friend had eventually fallen out of contact. The last he knew, she was a nurse and had two children, and that had been over thirty years ago.

After all his time abroad, he finally decided to return home, for the time of his passing was drawing near. Despite spending the majority of his life overseas, he still was and always would be Japanese. He was born here and he would die here, if he had anything to say about it.

Nearly eighty years old, he honestly didn't have that long to wait, even though he was probably in above average shape for such an advanced age. He had taken real good care of himself, even with his constant travel.

He'd been doing simple grocery shopping when he'd seen her.

The hair, the eyes, the face. It was like he was staring back in time, over fifty years back.

He'd stopped dead in his tracks, looking on in disbelief as the girl inside the store modelled the dress in front of a mirror. He'd have sworn on everything he had that it was her, but he knew that was impossible. Time stopped for no one.

A woman that bore a vague resemblance was seated behind her, watching in joy as she observed the girl. It was obvious that she was the girl's mother.

And then, sitting next to the woman was an elderly lady, long, grey hair sweeping down over her shoulders. She was looking on, her expression one of delight, and the moment he saw her eyes, he knew. It was obvious that she was the girl's grandmother.

"Kirino," he whispered in shock, nearly dropping the plastic bag he held.

All those feelings, all those emotions, locked away long ago and dulled by time, came roaring back with such intensity that he nearly stopped breathing. Steadying himself, he tore his gaze away with a frown, just standing there in the middle of the footpath like a statue. It wasn't until he saw them leaving that he realised a decent amount of time had passed.

"Are you okay, sir?"

Kyousuke nodded at what was most definitely his grand-niece. She even had the same voice, though was much more polite. He felt like laughing, but felt it was not the time, nor the place.

He glanced at her mother – his _niece_ – and then at...

"You look familiar,"

Kyousuke stared back at Kirino, a sad smile crossing his features for a moment. "Really?"

"Yes," she continued, voice surprisingly strong for her age. "But I can't..."

"I get that a lot," he explained. Giving them a brief bow, he began walking away. "Thank you for your concern."

He could feel the eyes on his back but he continued onwards. That part of his life was gone, over with. There was no point rekindling it now. Even still, he had to force himself not to turn around and call out.

Seeing her again...

...had been the best feeling in the world.

The fourth time Kyousuke saw Kirino in a wedding dress, he knew he was dreaming.

They were both young, still at school and living in their childhood home, but that mattered little.

And she was smiling at him.

It was the last thing he ever saw. Kyousuke felt there was no better way he'd wish to go.

He'd never know that he passed away on the day of his grand-nieces wedding, nor would he know how Kirino cried herself to sleep the next day when his photo appeared in the paper, along with his name. Apparently, a son of a high school friend had worked at the morgue and tipped them off about his death, thus the advert they took out in the paper in his honour. And he never knew that dozens attended a funeral he had planned himself to be quick and without fanfare, several generations seeing off a family member they never knew.

All the while, Kirino stood silently, a small photo clenched in her fist as she fought back tears. They crowded around her for support, the picture hidden from view. If one were to take a closer look, they would notice it contained a pair of children, a boy and a girl, playing in a small pool. They looked nothing alike, for the boy had black hair and the girl dark brown, yet...

"Goodbye... aniki."

...they were happy. Together.

Forever.

OoOoO

**A message from the Cow: **Okay, that was rather... more depressing than what I normally write. Sorry. The first portion of the chapter is taken from the latest light novel that was recently released. I haven't read it since it hadn't been translated, but have seen summaries of what happens and various pictures. I thought they look quite good together, especially in the picture of them at the concert. It's from behind, but it fits.


	6. My Life is a Book  Part 1

Kyousuke found himself in unfamiliar territory. Unfortunately for him, it was something that was happening more and more these days. This time, however, it was more of his own doing than that of others.

This time it didn't involve _imouto_-loving little sisters who played questionable incest porn games, nor did it involve disturbing cosplaying _otaku_ who watched teen-complex anime in Kuroneko, or boisterous mecha-loving, _otaku _-throwback Saori. There was no mildly-psychotic, yet incredibly alluring teen-model threatening his existence in Aragaki Ayase, or off-putting homosexual-loving Akagi Sena hassling him to star in her latest gay fantasies. No unexpected departures to America or any other country, no friends finding out things about him or his sister that they really shouldn't find out, and no lying to his parents about _supposed_ hobbies that didn't really belong to him.

No, none of _that_ had contributed to his current predicament.

But then again, maybe it had. Because without all the crazy, insane antics of the last year or however long it had been, would he really have had this hair-brained idea?

He wouldn't have.

So maybe those things were to blame.

Whatever.

At any rate, the young man couldn't help but fidget in his chair. He was seated in a modest office, a rather plain desk separating him from a balding man in his mid-forties with a round middle. Various action-figures and comics adorned the surface, while several posters took residence on the surrounding walls. A light breeze ruffled Kyousuke's hair from a half-open window while a potted plant in the corner swayed softly. All was silent, save – oddly enough – a set of wind chimes that chimed beautifully near the window. The balding man was currently engrossed in a pile of papers laid out in front of him, his beady eyes following the lines written down like a hawk.

It was one of the most uncomfortable waits of Kyousuke's life.

After witnessing the success of Kirino's little sister-themed short story, it had never crossed Kyousuke's to follow suit. Writing had never terribly interested the teen and truly, what did he have to write about? While he did have a fairly healthy imagination, he'd be the first to admit that it was also fairly limited. Couple that with a lacking skill in the art of story-telling and really, that was the end of it. Why even bother?

Yet, one day, after a particularly torturous week, the idea that his crazy, unpredictable life would make a good comedy series for television or maybe a _book_ had popped into his mind and refused to leave him alone. From then on, an idea was born. The problem was, would anyone really want to read about _him_ of all people? That was when the doubt started to set in. Regardless, he had dedicated all his spare time to the completion of his very first attempt at a novel. All the spare time he could afford, anyway, which was less and less as the weeks passed by.

Who knew that being friends with _otaku_ could be so time consuming. Admittedly, he enjoyed it. For the most part.

But after weeks and weeks of planning and writing and editing, he had finally – _finally_ – finished. Today was judgement day.

You'd think Kyousuke would be used to being outside his comfort zone, but no such luck.

"Hm," the man finally grunted, leaning back in his chair. Kyousuke unconsciously sat up straight, stiff as a rod. Butterflies flew around in his stomach, making him feel queasy and even more uncomfortable, if that was possible.

"I-If it's not any good, then I'm sorry for wasting you-" he babbled lamely.

"Not any good?" the man interrupted. Kyousuke's mouth snapped shut with an audible click. "Of course it isn't any good."

Kyousuke sagged, part-disappointed but part-relieved that it was all over. He had been expecting failure, anyway. He was destined for a normal life, after all, not to be an author. Better he left such pursuits to Kirino, who excelled in such things.

"Oh," he muttered, defeated. The man stared at him silently for a moment, before giving him a great big smile.

"It is fantastic!"

Kyousuke blinked, startled at the sudden rise in volume. "Wha-what?"

"This is incredible," his elder crowed back, waving the stack of papers back and forth wildly. "I haven't read anything like it."

Kyousuke couldn't do anything but gape in shock.

"You've got yourself a deal, Mister Kousaka. We'll publish this as soon as we can."

He couldn't believe it. They were going to...

"We can talk about a follow up book later. I know you said that this could stand alone, but I can tell you've got more up your sleeve!"

"Ah-um-okay, sure," he replied, still rattled by the whole thing. His composure was completely shot.

"We'll have to change the title, though," the man added finally, pointing at the page header on the top page.

It read _Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai._

Kyousuke nodded slowly. He hadn't liked that title, anyway.

OoOoO

**Cow: **Fairly short, but I'll probably post a few more chapters that involve this idea. You can call this part one, if you like. It isn't the most original idea – even in such a small fandom, there are already a few stories floating around about Kyousuke being an author of some sort – but I felt like putting my own spin on the idea. Perhaps a more realistic spin. Anyway, enjoy.


	7. Male Model

"Have you ever thought about a career in modelling?"

Kyousuke thought the man was joking at first.

"You have the right look. Perfect height, good body shape, handsome."

"Handsome?"

"Well, not traditional handsomeness – no; but you look mysterious. Like you have something to hide, something interesting. People like that sort of thing."

The man worked for a modelling agency and the two happened to cross paths by accident. Kyousuke had been running an errand for his mother and while crossing the local park, he had stumbled across the photo shoot. Like any straight guy, he couldn't help but stop and watch for a moment, marvelling at the beauty and grace on display. He didn't recognise any of the models – Kirino was absent, at home reading _ero-manga _ and he couldn't see any of her friends. These models were older, closer to Kyousuke's age and he couldn't remember ever seeing any of them attending his school.

It had been then – when he was distracted by the attractive girls – when he was set upon, Manager-san with his dark glasses and well trimmed moustache ambushing him like a ninja warrior of old.

Of course, it was nothing so dramatic. The guy had only said hello and stuck up a conversation.

An outlandish conversation.

"I don't know about this..."

"The pay is good and I need someone for my next shoot. I've had trouble finding the right person – but that trouble is in the past," Manager-san smiled widely, wrapping an arm around Kyousuke like they were best friends. It was a little unsettling. "You are that right person. I just know it. You are the perfect match with the girl model I have lined up. You will look amazing."

Kyousuke rubbed his neck awkwardly. "I've never done anything like that before."

It didn't phase the man one bit. "Not to worry. So what do you say?"

Normal is what Kyousuke strived for and being a model was far from ordinary. The limelight was just not something he had sought out, preferring to sit back and let others forge on ahead, for good or ill. He was more than content to let life drift by in an unremarkable fashion. The Kyousuke of a few months ago would never have agreed to such a thing. It was so far outside of his comfort zone that the answer would be an immediate, swift, "No." Kirino was the model in the family, after all – not him. He was plain, uninteresting Kyousuke with his plain life and plain friends.

But he wasn't the Kyousuke of a few months ago. Nothing about his life in recent times could even come close to claiming normalcy. And really, he could do with a little extra cash.

How hard could it be?

"Okay."

The older man looked surprised at his sudden change of heart, but didn't question it for a second. "Excellent! The shoot is next week. Here is my card..."

He just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him.

As the week passed by, he told his mother about his upcoming foray into the world of fashion. She hadn't believed him at first, smiling at him in an amused sort of way, thinking he was really taking a secret girl out on a date. That changed when he showed her Manager-san's business card and a copy of the contract he signed.

"This isn't like you, Kyousuke," she commented, reading over the contract. They were both seated at the dining table. "But it will do you some good."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, sipping at a glass of water.

"Don't mess it up."

"Gee, thanks."

He couldn't help but notice that she looked mildly proud, which made him feel good.

He made her promise to keep it a secret from the rest of the house. He just knew his father would lecture him about career choices while Kirino would laugh in his face about the whole thing. He could rather do without all that.

"I won't tell," she said, nodding seriously. Then she smiled cheekily. "I want to see the look on your fathers face when he sees you in one of those magazines."

His mother could be such a clown sometimes. He often wondered how a woman like his mother had charmed a man like his father. They were polar opposites in every way, and yet they had been together since high-school, had two children and almost never argued. Whatever their secret was, it worked.

"Kirino could give you some hints, though."

Kyousuke scoffed. His mother frowned at him and he waved her off. "Sorry, but I don't think... she would be very interested in helping me with this."

The day of the job came and he was a little nervous. The building was high-class and he felt out of place as he waited in the lobby. The floor was marble, polished until it was gleaming, while the receptionist's desk was made of glass and looked very modern. The walls were an off-white colour and left bare. A few pot plants were placed in strategic corners like they were trying to make the place look a little more inviting, but it didn't work very well. It reminded Kyousuke of a hospital in its profession feel and emotionless décor.

"Ah, Kousaka-san," the familiar voice of Manager-san greeted, drawing his attention. The man smiled warmly at him. "Come, come. Let's get started."

He was led to an elevator and taken up to the fourteenth floor, and was then shown into a large room after a long walk down a rather unremarkable hallway.

Various props had been set up and Kyousuke idly thought that it looked a little like a movie set. Fake snow was spread across the floor, while a blue screen was setup in the background so they could impose any image they wanted with a computer. Lighting, shades, screens; they were all being adjusted by a team of workers, while a pair of photographers were standing off to the side, fiddling with their cameras, adjusting lenses and erecting tripods. Against the far wall was a seemingly endless rack of clothing, male and female, all sorted together to match. They were of the winter variety; jeans, jackets, shirts, turtlenecks, stockings, scarves – they had it all. Underneath were matching shoes, boots and assortment of socks for each outfit.

"Impressive, right?" Manager-san said, leading him over to a screen in the corner. "You'll get changed behind here. And here is the girl you'll be working with today."

Kyousuke stared in disbelief.

"Onii-san?"

Aragaki Ayase looked just as shocked as he was feeling.

He lifted a hand robotically. "Yo."

What else could he say?

"Oh, you know each other? Excellent."

Kyousuke felt like saying, _"No, not excellent."_

He just nodded instead. This could become a disaster, fast.

Ayase looked to be getting over her shock, yet he was surprised that she didn't immediately inform Manager-san that he was a dangerous pervert and should be removed from the premises before he molested her or something. That was all he needed. His father would never let him hear the end of it if he had something so vulgar on his record.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. The shoot starts in twenty minutes. I'll tell you when to start getting dressed and what to wear."

Kyousuke felt incredibly awkward as the man left. "How are you?"

The younger girl suddenly glared at him, causing him to flinch. She went from cute younger girl to she-devil in an instant. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged helplessly. "Work – you?"

He felt like banging his head against the wall. What a stupid question.

Ayase always had this affect on him. No matter how many times he met the girl or how many times she put him down, her sleek hair, bright eyes and graceful beauty always got to him, blinded him to all else. Even dressed as she was in a plain bathrobe, it sent his senses into overdrive and he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked. His eyes travelled down her body and he glimpsed her bare legs and feet before forcing himself to look away. She was easily the most attractive girl he knew, next to Kirino – but she didn't count, for obvious reasons.

"So," he said when she didn't answer. "If I had known I was working with you, I'd have declined."

He'd meant for that to please her, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say. She suddenly looked angry, frowning at him harshly.

"I mean," he babbled, afraid that he had offended her. "I didn't mean it like that! I know you hate my guts and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. Look, I'll just go find Manager-san and tell him this was all a big mistake, and-"

"Onii-san," she interrupted, no longer angry. She looked a little sheepish. "It's fine, really. We will just have to deal with it."

He nodded, unsure. "O-Okay."

They didn't talk again and the time passed quickly. Kyousuke was shown to his changing area and told which clothes he would be modelling first. While he didn't count himself as knowledgeable when it came to clothes, even he could admit he was impressed by the designs. The first set of clothes were a perfectly pressed pair of slacks, well polished black dress shoes and a red button up long-sleeve shirt with black tie. There was also a black suit jacket. It was typical business wear, but of high quality.

After he finished getting dressed, he was seated in a chair while a young women went about styling his hair. A small application of hair product and a comb was all that was needed. He glanced at himself in the provided mirror and couldn't help but admire himself. He looked quite sharp.

He did some solo shots first, and then watched as Ayase came out wearing a matching set, with a tasteful office skirt instead of the pants and high-heels instead of shoes. She looked older and dare he say it, sexy. Her usual confidence was on display, though her cheeks flushed red at his continued stare. She shot him a warning look and he turned away before he did something stupid like ask her to marry him.

After a few group photos in various poses, they left and dressed in the next set of clothes. This was repeated several times with small breaks in between until finally, they reached the last set. A few hours had passed and in that time, they hadn't said a word to each other. They worked in total silence, only touching when instructed and forcing smiles for the camera. A few times, he thought she was staring at him, her eyes lingering in inappropriate places, but brushed it off as his over active imagination. The photographers commented that Kyousuke was a natural, which he found rather funny, and that they had amazing chemistry, which was even more hilarious.

Maybe they just didn't see what he saw?

Pulling on the jeans and blue turtleneck, he slipped on a pair of expensive looking sneakers and joined Ayase in front of the cameras. She was dressed in a pair of jeans as well, though they much more snug, hugging her legs like a second skin. A pair of fur-lined boots and a matching leather jacket looked very fetching on her slender frame, a deep blue shirt underneath matching her eyes.

"You look nice," he said without thinking. She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Not that you haven't all day, but those ones really suit you."

She flushed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a rather unexpected reaction to his words. "Thanks. You too."

Like before, they did some solo shoots, before doing the doubles. Only this time, they were instructed to embrace each other much more intimately than they had been in previous shoots. They balked slightly at first, before nodding and complying.

Ayase looked oddly nervous as she placed her hands on his waist, before sliding them around and up his back. He tried not to hyperventilate as he cradled her against his body, arms wrapping around her slender body. Her head was tucked neatly under his chin and her nails clawed at his back pleasantly. She was breathing heavily against him and he closed his eyes as the cameras went off, a look of content on his face. Without prompt, they changed positions – her back now against his front as he hugged her from behind. Her head was tilted to the side and he dipped his forward, like he was about to plant a kiss on her exposed neck.

Flashes filled the room.

She shivered in his arms as his breath tickled her skin, a small groan escaping her and it drove Kyousuke wild. He felt heavy, a pleasant heat building in the pit of his stomach as they changed positions again. This time he was leaning back against a blue box they wheeled in earlier for seated photos, Ayase practically straddling him. Her hands tentatively ran over his face and he tilted his head back, bracing himself with one arm while the other lingered on her hip. She gazed down at him with hooded eyes, panting. He gazed back at her.

He didn't even stop to think about what was happening. How dangerous it was. He forgot about the other people in the room. He forgot about his sister. He just didn't care.

Suddenly, her mouth was on his, soft and wet and open. He responded with a groan, sitting up so he could wrap his arms around her body. She wrapped her slim legs around him so she was sitting flush against his lap, whimpering softly into the kiss. Kyousuke felt hot and reckless, tasting her for the first time. How long had he wanted to do this? His perfect little angel.

He moved from her lips to her neck, putting into action what he had teased before. She shook in his arms, mewling cutely as he nipped and sucked at the soft, smooth skin. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, nails scrapping against his scalp pleasurably.

"Kyousuke-kun," she moaned, claming his lips once more. She squirmed against him and he nearly bit her lip, feeling himself grow hard.

She's never used his name before.

"Ah hem,"

They pulled way from each other in shock, staring at each other in increasing horror. Their eyes were glassy as they turned towards Manager-san. He was frowning.

"That was a bit much," he said, looking alarmed. Everyone else was staring with open mouths. "But we got some great shots. Thank you for your participation."

OoOoO

**Cow: **Feels a bit rushed but I felt like posting something with Ayase in it. I was inspired to write after hearing that Oreimo is getting a second anime season. I can't wait.


	8. Eroge

Kyousuke knew this was a bad idea. As soon as the word _eroge_ left her lips, he knew. He should have run then, without hesitation. He should have said _no_. Anything but stand there meekly and nod when prompted. What was he _thinking_! How did she always make him feel like he had no control?

He had zero self preservation instinct. That part of his brain just didn't work, he was sure of it. Any other sane person would not be in such a stupid situation to begin with. Ludicrous didn't even do it justice. What kind of guy allowed himself to get roped into this type of predicament?

He sighed, though he thought it sounded more like a hiss.

Awkward didn't even begin to describe how he was feeling right now. He wanted to curl up into a ball and die. His face hurt from all the blood rushing to his cheeks, and he wouldn't be surprised if his face remained crimson red for the rest of his life. He felt so hot, and so sweaty, and the open window was doing little in the way of cooling him down.

She was sitting _so close_.

Her cheeks were also glowing, a healthy shade of rose that made her all the more delectable. He felt compelled to reach out and brush aside her hair, to trace his knuckles against the curve of her neck. Was her skin as smooth as it looked? Would it feel as soft as he imagined? But he didn't dare, instead choosing to click the mouse, bringing up the next scene.

She inhaled sharply – a soft, sexy sound that drove him mad. He swallowed thickly and felt slightly dizzy, his palms becoming slick as he read the text displayed on the screen.

"_You feel so g-good, onii-chan!"_

Those words only added to the lust filled scene displayed on the screen, a young, cute girl wrapped in the arms of her older brother. Her small, but rounded breasts pressed into his chest, slender legs hugging his hips snugly. Her face was a picture of ecstasy, fingers digging into her brothers back desperately as he fucked her senseless.

As he took her virginity and made her a woman.

He wanted to close the game now, shut the laptop and forget this ever happened. He never did understand why people drowned themselves in alcohol until this very moment.

Instead, his finger clicked the mouse once more and the next image was displayed. It was just as lewd as the previous one – perhaps even more so. The brother had pulled back from his sister's embrace, revealing her pert nipples to the player. His hand had slid down over her toned stomach and was toying with her clitoris, drawing a pleasure filled moan from the young girl that played out over the speakers.

Even though the house was empty, Kyousuke felt nervous at the sound – scared that they were about to be caught by his parents. He rarely played without headphones, even when they were out, but she had insisted. It was the only way they could both listen, she explained, which was true. She needed to experience the game fully, or how else could she understand Kirino?

He heard Ayase groan softly in her throat and he stared in disbelief as her thighs rubbed together. He couldn't breathe, his chest felt so heavy. His lips parted in shock, watching as his younger sisters best-friend squirmed, her breath coming in short, sharp pants. Her tiny skirt was rumpled, revealing planes of smooth, pale flesh.

All resolve left him.

He truly had no self preservation.

He felt like it happened in slow motion. His hand left the mouse, moving down and over, resting lightly on her exposed skin. She tensed immediately, turning to look at him with wide eyes – wide, glassy eyes; eyes that were more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. They were so blue, so open – yearning.

His fingers trailed up, her breath hitching as he brushed against her sensitive skin. Her skin was hot and damp, and the further he moved, the hotter and – _wetter_ – she felt. Kyousuke forced himself to breathe, refusing to break eye contact. One of her hands rose and gripped his forearm hard. He thought for a brief moment that she was about to stop him – stop him and kill him – but when he felt no resistance, he continued.

Her panties were _drenched_.

She whimpered loudly as he rubbed against the soaked material, a rumbling groan passing his lips. He started softly, almost teasingly – then she started twisting her hips, pulling on his arm, trying to get him to rub harder.

He obeyed without question.

Her back arched off the chair, her small but well shaped breasts straining against her singlet. Her clit was hard and throbbing, and she nearly sobbed in agony when he pulled back.

She looked at him in confusion, panting in desire. He pulled her up and moved over to the bed, seating her on the side. Her legs fell open easily as he knelt, gazing up at her with heat. She was trembling with want, lifting her hips without question when he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of her skirt and panties, caressing her legs as he removed them with ease.

He nearly died at the sight – Ayase in nothing but a small black singlet and knee-high leather boots. Her skin was flawless, blemish free and _so damn soft_. Only the lightest of hair could be found, her pussy slick, open and pink.

"Ayase," he whispered hoarsely, speaking for the first time in what felt like forever. Her manicured nails dug into his scalp as she tugged him forward by his hair, almost biting through her lip as he touched her unhindered for the first time.

Her hips quivered as he lightly probed with his tongue, parting her with his fingers. She fell back onto the mattress with a thump, eyes screwed shut in beautiful agony.

"Kyousuke," she moaned, her thighs now resting on his shoulders. His hands gripped her hips firmly. "More!"

OoOoO

**Cow: **Been awhile – felt like writing suddenly, and this fandom needs some more updates. I'm still hooked on Ayase at the moment, hence this little thing.


	9. Mundane Pleasure

Kirino squirmed, groaning as she fought feebly to escape. Didn't he understand they couldn't do things like this? They had promised each other. Did that promise mean nothing to him? Didn't he realise how hard it was for her to resist this?

She conveniently ignored the fact that _she_ had asked _him_ to do this for her.

"Kyousuke - you _baka_, stop right now - ahh! - we promised we wouldn't -"

He was such an idiot. They were meant to be normal siblings again. It was in the best interests of everyone. No matter how they felt for each other, no matter how they longed to be with one another, they had made a _promise_ and here he was, breaking it without thought-

Her whole body shivered with feeling.

"Stop right now," she whispered angrily, though in truth she wasn't angry at all. "Think about what you are - ahh!"

He had found a particularly sensitive spot. She couldn't help the way her eyes rolled back, gazing up at the ceiling above her bed. Meruru looked back down at her happily from the poster she had recently placed there, all innocent and bubbly.

"I'm not doing anything wrong," he replied smugly. She shivered again as a bolt of pleasure shot through her body. "I'm sure plenty of brothers do this for their sisters."

She wanted to hit him. How she hated it when he got all cocky like that. Or rather, how it thrilled her. He was never like this with anyone else. Only she got to see this side of him, the fire and passion that had attracted her to him in the first place; the fire that plain _bitch_ had tried to extinguish.

It was all hers now.

She bit her lip to stifle a cry. Their parents were home, downstairs watching television. This was why he was being such an _idiot_. He knew how loud she liked to be.

He chuckled warmly. "You sound so cute."

"We are going to - uuugh! - get caught, _baka_. Don't you ca-ahh!"

"They won't mind."

He was _maddening_. The way his fingers moved over her skin drove her insane. He knew exactly where to apply the most pressure, drawing muffled cries from her mouth as she stuffed a pillow over her face.

They were going to get caught, they were going to get caught, _they were going to get caught-_

And that only made it feel better.

Every time he pressed into her, her whole body would tense in pleasure. The warmth of his hands was intoxicating, seeping into her and filling her with such delightful feelings. She didn't know how much more she could take. The oils he was using enhanced every little thing until she was delirious.

And then he stopped. The fantasy broke apart.

"Okay, how are they feeling now?"

She removed the pillow from her face, gazing at her brother blearily. Her small, dainty feet were resting in his lap. They were slick with massaging oil, giving her already tanned skin a slightly darker look.

"What?" she asked blankly.

_He had stopped!_

"How are your feet feeling?" he asked again, smiling. He was completely oblivious to what he had just put her through. "Better?"

Kirino swallowed thickly, feeling how damp her panties were and the way her small skirt stuck to her behind.

"W-Where the hell did you learn to do that?" she asked breathlessly, and not for the first time. She had pressed him into massaging her feet twice before after a long day modelling, but it had _never_ felt so intense.

"No where in particular," he answered same as always. "Well, if that is all-"

Kirino had darted forward, pressing her lips to his hungrily. He fell back as she straddled him, surprised.

"Kirino, what - our promise -"

The tables had been turned. He forced them apart, but only just. Her breath ghosted against his lips, their eyes locked together. Kirino could see that he was desperately holding back, but he didn't need to any longer.

"You think you can just make me feel this way then leave?" she whispered, grinning evilly. "Screw our promise. We were never normal siblings, anyway."

OoOoO

**Cow:** Yes, I hath returned. Expect more updates in the future; possibly a new story, as well.

And before I forget, I'd like to thank Tsukasa Fushimi for the amazing light novels, anime and manga you have given us in this amazing world. It's a shame that it is all over now because it felt like it went so fast, but it was great while it lasted.


	10. My Life is a Book Part 2

Kyousuke couldn't believe how excited he felt. It had been a long time since he had felt such energy, such passion burning inside him. Was this how Kirino felt? He now understood why she did a lot of the things that she did. Seeing your work on display was just something else. Perhaps he had found his new calling.

Stepping forward, he examined the novels on display. There were hundreds of books in this store, probably thousands. He recognised a few of them, belonging to popular anime and manga series he had heard in passing. Others, he was at a complete loss.

He was alone for the moment. Kirino, Kuroneko and Saori were elsewhere in the store, preoccupied with their own needs. It hadn't been very difficult to slip away. Ordinarily, he would stick with them all the way - but he had something he wanted to do. For once, he was here in Akihabara because he had his own reasons to be.

Reaching out, he gripped the spine of a familiar book and pulled it free. Turning it over, he gazed down happily at the front cover. It was simple but eye catching, just as Kyousuke desired. He had a copy already, tucked away at home, sent straight from the press, but he couldn't help admiring it like it was a brand new treasure.

The art was simple but extremely well done, depicting a young man in high school, dressed simply in his school uniform. The title was scrawled around him in bright ink, capturing your eye from the start. It wasn't the largest book in the store, but it was far from the smallest. At the bottom of the cover, his pseudonym was on display; it was simple and completely impossible to work out, for he simply went as K.K.

And in the top corner, there was a number one.

It was the first of a series.

His novel had been out for awhile now but this was the first time he had been out and seen it for sale in person. It made him feel giddy and light headed, and proud. This was _his_ book. He was an author.

He knew all these things, but again, it was like learning it for the first time.

It was selling extremely well. His royalties told him that much. And it had gotten rather good reviews, from what he'd glanced at online. His publisher was urging him to hurry on the next instalment, but he didn't want to rush it. Even if it was becoming rather popular, he wasn't a natural at writing. He wanted to make sure everything was done as well as could be before handing anything in.

He never thought he would ever find something to take pride in, but he had. He didn't want to mess anything up. It had to be perfect.

"There you are," a voice called from behind. Saori had found him. He turned to meet her. "You shouldn't wander off on your own, Kyousuke-shi - you wouldn't want to get loooost, would you~?" she teased.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"What are you holding?"

He suddenly felt nervous. What would she think of it? She didn't know he had written it, of course. No one did. Would she like it? Would she recognise the characters, even with all the changes? Or would she criticise it? He remembered the harsh way Kirino and Kuroneko had picked apart each other's work; he wasn't sure he could handle such scathing reviews - not from someone he knew personally and respected.

"Oh," she muttered, getting a good look. He silently handed it over and she gazed down at it in interest. "This art looks familiar."

It wasn't his, as he couldn't draw worth a damn. The publishing company had brought in somebody by the name of Ganma Yamanashi, who handled all the drawing. Kyousuke still had input, as they were his characters - but he left most of the work to Yamanashi-san.

Incidentally, Yamanashi-san was the author of _Maschera: Lament of a Fallen Beast_ - Kuroneko's favourite anime and novel series. The art was completely different to that series, however. Not as sharp, not as serious. Kyousuke made it clear that his series was much more ordinary - in setting, anyway. The plot was... well, there was nothing normal about his life recently, was there?

"Oooh, I've heard about this novel," Saori exclaimed. "It's doing really well. People are already talking about a possible anime adaptation and it only has one instalment so far."

Kyousuke tried not to preen under her praise. Though that was the first he had heard about an anime.

"Are you thinking about buying it, Kyousuke-shi? This guy looks like you."

He made sure to keep calm. While the picture on the cover resembled him a little, it was no where near a perfect match. He looked like any generic teenage male character - in other words, plain.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"I think I will," she said, nodding rapidly. Her glasses nearly slipped off her nose at the action. "Yes, I must see what all the excitement is about!"

"What are you two talking about?"

Kirino and Kuroneko had arrived. It wasn't long before Kirino noticed the novel clutched in Saori's hands.

Her reaction was completely unexpected.

"Oh my _god~!_" she squealed, making Kyousuke and Kuroneko jump in alarm, while Saori stepped back in surprise. While her _otaku_ friends were used to her bizarre outbursts, even they got caught off guard on occasion. "You have to buy that book! What a godly novel!"

Kyousuke tensed. Kirino had read it?

"Oh?" Kuroneko asked, looking at it casually. She smiled mockingly. "If you are reacting like that, it must be full of perverse _siscon_ elements."

"Shut up!" Kirino snapped irritably, glaring at her friend. "I don't like your tone."

Kuroneko just laughed softly to herself.

"Damn goth loli," Kirino muttered, trembling as her annoyance vanished and she focused on the book. She was practically vibrating with excitement. "It's about an ordinary high school student who has this amazing _imouto_ that he dislikes - but you can totally tell he is _tsundere_, no matter how good the author is at disguising it."

Kyousuke almost balked.

_Who are you calling tsundere? _he screamed in his mind.

"She's really popular, good at sport, intelligent and even has a part-time job even though she is still in middle-school. But she has a secret that she can't tell anyone, something that would bring shame to the family if it were discovered. Her brother finds out, of course," she waved her hand airily, as if this was obviously what was going to happen, "and he helps her keep it secret from everyone else. He likes to act tough, but you just know he totally liked helping her out. It's so cute!"

Saori was grinning at Kirino and her passionate display, while Kuroneko was frowning thoughtfully. Kyousuke was honestly baffled at what he was hearing. While he always knew that his sister might read his novel, he never thought in a thousand years that she would enjoy it, even if it did fall within her genre somewhat.

"She treats her brother rather poorly, though," she admitted, sulking at that. But she burst back into life quickly, "but you can really tell she appreciates his help. She just has trouble expressing it."

"It sounds really fun, Kiririn-shi!"

"I know, right? Right?"

Kyousuke watched blankly as Saori made her way towards the counter with the novel, Kirino explaining in detail why it would be her best buy of the year, waving her arms around ecstatically to emphasize her points.

What the hell just happened?

He was about to follow when he felt a light tug on his sleeve.

"Huh?"

Kuroneko stared up at him through her lashes, a taunting smirk in place. "If you ask me, that sounded rather familiar, wouldn't you agree?"

She had worked it out, then. It wasn't all that surprising. Kuroneko was a sharp girl - but he wasn't going to let her win. But at the same time, he wasn't going to deny her insinuation either, even though he was worried she would tell Kirino. He knew her game. She liked to humiliate others for her own amusement. This time, he was going to get the last word.

"I don't think so," he said with forced calm, gazing back into her red eyes. He knew exactly what to say. "I mean, I heard there is a ghost-like Japanese beauty in that novel," he shrugged hopelessly. "I kinda wish it was familiar."

Her mouth opened in surprise, and her smooth, pale cheeks flushed scarlet. He hated to admit it but she looked incredibly cute, standing there in her gothic lolita dress and blushing furiously.

"Come on," he said a moment later, after letting his words sink in a little. He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "If we don't get going, they'll leave us behind."

OoOoO

**Cow: **Just the continuation of an earlier chapter, though after a considerable time-skip. Like that one, this doesn't contain a pairing, though I suppose you could say that Kuroneko's 'affection points' went up a little. Haha.

What's the title of Kyousuke's novel? You know, I never could really figure one out that sounded good enough. Also, Kanako's sister is the person who draws all the art for him.


	11. Storm

Kyousuke grunted in irritation as he shifted around uncomfortably, leaning against the concrete pillar behind him. His school shirt stuck to his skin in the most annoying places, while sweat trickled down the back of his neck from his hair, creating a truly annoying damp spot on his back. His uniform jacket was draped over his shoulder as it far too hot to wear, while his bag lay abandoned by his feet. He felt like a drink, but there were no vending machines in sight - and he couldn't leave, not yet. So he waited, suffering silently. If there was one type of weather people universally hated, it would have to be this.

Humidity was a bitch.

Sighing, he unbuttoned the upper most buttons of his shirt while fanning himself with his hand. His tie had been removed much earlier, stuffed into his bag haphazardly. The sky was overcast and ominously black, as it had been all day, but no rain had yet fallen. It was the type of weather that preceded a thunderstorm.

He just hoped it would wait until he got home.

A familiar chime sounded, signalling the end of the school day.

"Finally," he muttered, shifting again.

He had only been waiting a short while, but in this type of heat, it felt so much longer. His last class for the day had been study hall, so he had been able to leave a little early to make it here before the end of class. It hadn't been very far, as both schools were fairly close to home. It was then that he remembered that it wasn't just the heat that was making him uncomfortable, but the fact that he waiting in front of Kirino's middle-school.

When she saw him, he _knew_ she was going to be pissed.

He had his reasons for waiting, however. Very legitimate reasons. Hopefully, that would be enough to stop the very likely onslaught he was moments from encountering.

Slowly but surely, students dressed in light blue and white begun to appear, making their way toward the gate he was leaning against. He got plenty of curious looks, but he ignored them in favour of looking for his sister, attempting to spy her unique hair colouring amongst the masses. Several minutes crawled by until he spotted her, leaving one of the buildings with-

-ah, crap.

He stood a little straighter, absentmindedly brushing his hand through his damp hair. His fringe was sticking to his forehead, which he hastily swiped away. It gave him a distinctly ruffled appearance. Bending down, he retrieved his bag, keeping a close eye on the approaching girls. He should have expected that Kirino wouldn't be alone. This was going to make matters even worse.

They hadn't noticed him yet, and he took this time to observe the pair as they came closer. Truly, Kirino and Ayase were both incredibly beautiful girls - no one could deny that. However, they were very different in their appearance and after a few moments, Kyousuke come to the conclusion that they were like night and day.

Kirino was all bright colours and wonderful smiles, and he believed she looked no better than when she was in the sun. Her hair was light brown and shimmered when under sunlight, and her skin was lightly tanned from all the time she spent outdoors running on the Track and Field team. Her wide, teal eyes were unique and shone brightly. She carried herself with such maturity that it was hard to believe she was only in middle-school.

Ayase, on the other hand, was cooler in appearance and more selective with her smiles, though they were no less wonderful. Her hair was a beautiful black and it contrasted sharply with her pale, porcelain hued skin that Kyousuke knew would look stunning under moonlight. Her soft, violet eyes were mysterious and he knew, from personal experience, that they could be rather frightening and passionate when angry.

Two beautiful girls, but so different.

Together, they were absolutely stunning.

Kyousuke watched as almost every male in the vicinity looked their way. Even just walking, they drew their eyes effortlessly. Without doubt, they were incredibly popular - several girls called out to them in greeting as they past.

He then blinked, surprised, as he watched a few boys approach his sister and her friend. They were close enough now that he could hear them and what he heard made him frown.

For some reason, hearing those boys hit on them pissed him off. He was already in a bad enough mood as it was, sticky with sweat.

He felt mildly embarrassed, listening to them trying to pick up his sister. Some of the lines they were using were truly awful, and he couldn't help but think that they were lucky that Kirino tended to keep her fiery temper in check around most people. Even so, Kyousuke could see she was getting annoyed by their persistence. Ayase was less subtle, glaring at them furiously, but they didn't seem to get the point.

"Good grief," he uttered, growing tired of waiting. His sister could be hopeless, sometimes. Waving his arm to catch their attention, he moved towards their little gathering.

Ayase was the first to notice him, her eyes widening in surprise. The anger on her face vanished, replaced by confusion. She looked so cute that Kyousuke wanted to snuggle her tight. "Ah-! Onii-san, what are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Kirino said, following Ayase's line of sight and finding her brother. "Wha-!"

"Before you get mad," he said calmly, ignoring the hostile looks he was receiving from the boys. He had stolen the attentions of the girls they were trying to woo, after all. "I have a perfectly good reason to be here."

Kirino and Ayase stared at him, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. It was pretty intense. "What's with those looks?"

He expected a scathing remark, but what he got were two flushed faces. That was odd.

"Hey man, who the hell are you?" one of the boys said rudely, stepping towards him. He had short brown hair and mean eyes. Kyousuke looked at him blankly. Was a middle-school kid really trying to intimidate him? What in the world...

He answered plainly. "Kousaka Kyousuke. You?"

"K-Kousaka?" he stammered, suddenly looking alarmed. He no longer looked like he was about to pick a fight. "Are you-?"

"I'm Kirino's older brother, yeah."

"Oh."

_Well, this is awkward_, Kyousuke thought, turning back to his sister and ignoring the wary looks he was now receiving from the boys.

"We are home alone tonight," he began, explaining his appearance. Kirino perked up. "Dad was invited to some work function and mum is going with him. They said you can invite someone over for the night, if you want. They left us some money for dinner - what do you feel like?"

"Ah - a-anything is fine."

Kyousuke frowned. Kirino was acting a bit weird. He had been expecting some sort of demand, but she was leaving it up to him. After a moment, he shrugged.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later."

Turning toward the gate, he began to walk away. He was halfway down the street when he heard the sound of footsteps pounding the pavement behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Kirino with Ayase in tow. Pausing for them to catch up, he gave them both a questioning look as they panted, the short run sapping their strength in such conditions. They both looked relieved to be away from their enamoured classmates.

"Ayase is going to stay over," Kirino said in her usual arrogant way, though it was somewhat ruined when she wiped her forehead free of sweat. Whatever had been bothering her before was clearly gone, though. "If you try anything tonight, I'll kill you, understand?"

"Yeah, yeah."

That was the Kirino he knew. He could deal with that kind of reaction.

"How have you been, Onii-san?" Ayase asked politely, as if Kirino hadn't just threatened him with death. Kyousuke smiled at how lady-like she was acting, but kept it at that. He typically lost his head around Ayase - as she was his lovely angel, Ayase-tan~! - but his personal health in this situation won over. Kirino and Ayase together were just too dangerous to consider mucking around. "You aren't thinking anything perverted, are you?"

She had noticed his smile. So much for personal safety.

"Urk," he choked, wounded. "Why do you always think the worst of me, Ayase-san? It really hurts, you know."

"She knows what you are like," Kirino added scornfully, though Kyousuke noticed it was without any real heat. That's how most of her insults felt these days, no longer containing the sting they once did. "But don't worry, Ayase. I have this dog under control."

..._DOG?_

That stung.

"Who are you calling a dog?" he shouted indignantly.

"Who else?"

"Do I look like a dog to you?"

"You sit when I tell you too, right? You must be a dog."

"Tch, you brat."

"Do you hear something, Ayase?"

Kyousuke grit his teeth, about to retort when a cute giggle drew his attention. Kirino also looked surprised and gazed at her model friend, who was trying and failing to stifle her amusement behind a hand. She waved at them slyly, smiling widely. She then said something that brought both Kousaka siblings to a halt.

"Even though you look nothing alike, you really are related, aren't you?"

Kirino opened her mouth, paused, and then closed it again, looking stunned. Kyousuke choked for a second time.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kirino grumbled, frowning cutely.

"I wonder," Ayase said teasingly, before skipping ahead with a laugh. "You two are pretty close." Kirino flushed and chased after her, shouting denials. Kyousuke shook his head and continued on behind them, thankful that Ayase was only teasing them about being close and not interrogating him.

When he arrived home, the place was silent. Kirino had gone with Ayase to her place, which was rather close by, so they could inform the young models parents about their plans. Pulling out his keys, he swiftly unlocked the door and announced himself out of habit.

Removing his shoes and slipping on his slippers, he ascended the stairs and entered his bedroom, throwing his bag on the ground near the end of his bed. Quickly undressing, he pulled on a pair of black shorts with a white stripe down the side and a dark blue t-shirt, before heading downstairs. His parents had left some money on the living room coffee table, which he scooped up before heading into the kitchen for a drink. He relished the feel of the refrigerated air on his damp skin as he pulled open the fridge door, before pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

"I'm home!" Kirino called out, followed by Ayase calling, "Pardon my intrusion."

They were quick.

They both entered the living room. Kirino was still in her school uniform, but Ayase was dressed in a very cute light purple dress with a small fashionable leather vest over the top. It was open in the front, drawing his eyes to her developing curves with the way it hugged her slender frame. Around her waist hung a loose leather belt with a great big buckle, which complimented the rest of the outfit nicely. Hanging from her shoulder was a backpack.

"Urgh," Kirino groaned, fanning herself. "It's so hot. I hate this weather."

"I'm heading out," Kyousuke spoke, finishing his drink. "I'm going to the store," he added, placing his glass in the sink. He asked as an afterthought, "You want anything?"

A year ago, Kyousuke would never have bothered asking such a question. A year ago, if had asked it, he would never have got a response. It showed how much things had changed in that time.

Kirino considered his words. "Ice cream."

"Flavour?"

"Strawberry, _baka_."

_How was I supposed to know tha-never mind._

"Ayase-san? Would you like anything?"

She appeared startled for a moment, before giving him a suspicious once over, like she was checking for ulterior motives. Kirino copied her, suddenly looking disgruntled. What had he done?

"No, I'm fine. The ice cream will be enough, Onii-san."

Nodding, he headed out. The store was close by, but he made sure to take an umbrella in case the heavens decided to open up while he was out.

When he arrived, he almost didn't want to leave, as it was air conditioned and much more comfortable than outside. He loitered for a bit, cooling down as he examined several vegetables. He had decided on a simple stir fry dish as they were easy and quick to prepare, even with the use of fresh produce. Ordinarily, he would just buy a bag of assorted frozen vegetables and be done with it, but he felt like doing it properly this time - he wasn't exactly sure why. The sauce was covered, as they had everything he would ever need at home, so he was set there. He just needed to pick which meat to use.

_What is Kirino's favourite?_ he thought idly, picking up an eggplant. He turned it over a few times before placing it in his basket before moving toward the onion bin. _Beef, chicken or pork? _

He didn't even realise he was basing his choice on what his sister liked rather than his own preference.

In the end, he picked beef. Paying for his goods - he almost forgot the strawberry ice cream, and had to quickly search for the freezer - he sighed in regret as he left the cool atmosphere of the store and stepped back into the rank humidity of the outside world. The only upside was that it hadn't started raining yet and he was able to make it all the way home without having to use his umbrella.

"I'm home."

He struggled with removing his shoes as he juggled the bags in his arms. He was pretty sure he looked quite humorous. Task complete, he then moved into the living room which he noticed was much cooler than before - the aircon had been turned on. Ayase and Kirino were seated on the couch, watching the big screen television and seemingly took no notice of his entrance. Kirino was no longer dressed in her school uniform, wearing a pair of short denim shorts and a snug pink singlet that was a little short and bared some of her toned stomach. He almost paused at that, but forced himself to move into the kitchen.

He quietly put the groceries away before grabbing three bowls from the nearby cupboard. The ice cream was a little soft from his walk back but that was fine. He disliked ice cream that was almost impossible to scoop and hard enough to bend spoons. Dividing three equal portions into each bowl, he put the ice cream away in the freezer and grabbed two extra spoons. Walking over into the living room, he placed two bowls on the coffee table, startling them from their show. Kyousuke glanced at the screen for a moment, recognising a rather popular drama that was airing lately. People were talking about it a lot at school.

"Ah - thank you, Onii-san." Ayase nodded politely and grabbed one of the bowls.

"Tch - you'd make a good butler, if nothing else, I suppose." Kirino was smiling when she said this, though. She seemed pleased, her eyes sparkling. Kyousuke felt strangely warm before he turned away quickly.

_What the hell..._

"I'll be upstairs," he muttered, gathering his bowl from the kitchen and leaving quickly. As he entered his bedroom, he noticed that rain was beginning to fall, beading on his window as it picked up in intensity. Small gusts of wind followed and Kyousuke watched as several trees swayed back and forth.

Sitting at his desk, he powered up Kirino's laptop. He momentarily thought about playing a game, but that was out of the question. The only games he had were _eroge_ - _imouto eroge_, at that. There was no way in hell he was going to play those games when Ayase was in the house. _Love Touch_ would have been fine, as it was a regular dating sim, but he had already cleared that as much as he could and Kirino had taken it back besides. Whispering loving words to the PSP was also not a very safe thing to do with Ayase around.

Surfing the internet, then.

"No porn," he said to himself, tasting his ice cream. It was really good. "Anything but porn."

He spent the next few hours browsing random sites, not doing anything in particular. He lost track of how many videos he watched and was completely absorbed in his mindless pursuit of entertainment that he didn't notice how strong the rain was falling, or how strong those wind gusts had become. It wasn't until he briefly glanced at the window that he realised how bad things had turned outside. They were definitely in for a storm tonight.

Stretching his back, he looked at the time and nodded to himself. It was a bit earlier than when they normally ate dinner, but that was fine - he was hungry, and they were probably hungry too. Gathering his dirty dishes, he powered down the laptop and made his way downstairs. The living room was empty which meant they were probably in Kirino's room. They had left the light on and the aircon was still keeping the temperature of the house bearable.

It didn't take very long to prepare the food for cooking. He diced the beef and onion, sliced the eggplant into thin slices and cut everything else into thin strips - picking a red capsicum over the green one for its visual appeal if nothing else. The sauce came next, Kyousuke carefully measuring each ingredient as he mixed them together. Someone like Manami would be able to do this part without having to measure anything, but he was a novice when it came to cooking while she was closer to master. He was just adding some crushed garlic and ginger to the sauce when Kirino and Ayase entered.

"Kanako said she has a concert coming up," Ayase was explaining. "And there must be a whole lot of new songs she has to learn, so she'll be pretty busy in the coming weeks. It's for that - ah... that anime she c-cosplays for."

"Dinner will be ready soon," Kyousuke called out, before Kirino could even contemplate going full-otaku on Ayase by mistake. The black haired model looked uncomfortable enough as it was, talking about cosplay. They both jumped, not having noticed him in the kitchen. "We are having stir-fry."

They both walked over and watched as he set the wok on the stove, lighting the gas element underneath. Pouring in a little oil, he waited until it was hot before adding the diced beef. A loud hiss filled the room, along with the delicious smell of frying meat. Moving the meat around so it browned evenly, he added the onion. While they were frying, he set up the rice cooker.

"I didn't know you cook, Onii-san." Ayase commented quietly, watching as he added rice and water. Kirino hummed, observing the meat with an unusual amount of interest.

"I don't do it often. I'm not that good, really," he rubbed his neck, smiling sheepishly. "I only know a few dishes."

If he had been alone, he probably wouldn't have cooked at all - he could be lazy like that. It was only because Kirino and Ayase were around that he bothered at all. He doubted they would be happy with convenience store food.

A few minutes later, he added the vegetables and then the sauce, mixing it around. He felt his mouth starting to water as a wonderful smell drifted around. Kirino hummed again, looking pleased. She then began setting the table with Ayase, without being asked. Kyousuke thought that things were going really well, though he was a little nervous at the way Ayase kept staring vacantly at the knife rack next to him. She could be really disturbing, that girl.

Soon enough, dinner was served.

Kyousuke seated himself in his usual seat, while Kirino and Ayase sat across from him.

"_Itadakimasu!_" they said together before digging in. Kyousuke grinned, tasting the flavour of his own cooking for the first time in what felt like forever. He didn't want to seem cocky or anything, but he felt he did a pretty damn good job for a novice.

Ayase took a delicate bite, chewing it slowly with a thoughtful look on her face and unwittingly looking amazingly adorable. Swallowing, she beamed at Kyousuke. "Onii-san, this is really good!"

"Ah - thank you," he replied, embarrassed at her earnest look, surprised. Praising yourself was one thing, receiving it from someone else was another.

Kirino nodded slowly, swallowing her mouthful and fiddling with her bowl. "This is better than I thought it would be. Y-You should cook more."

Kyousuke froze, his chopsticks hovering over his bowl. He felt his face heat up.

_...my little sister and my little sister's friend can't be this cute!_

_...what the hell was going on?_

He was about to continue eating when a sudden bright flash drew his attention to the window, before an ear splitting crack made him flinch in panic. He ducked instinctively, jaw clenched as the windows rattled in their frames. Kirino shrieked in surprise, nearly toppling from her chair in fright while Ayase went rigid in alarm, eyes wide with shock. Their ears were ringing as the thunder continued to rumble, not as loud but not quietly either. Several seconds went by before it finally died out, to be replaced by the sound of driving rain.

"Argh," Kyousuke rubbed his abused ears. It must have close to produce such an ear splitting boom. "That was loud."

Kirino steadied herself but looked nervous, like a rabbit about to bolt. It was then that Kyousuke remembered that Kirino _hated_ thunderstorms. Some might say that it was silly for a girl her age to be scared of such things, but everyone had their own fears. He could still recall the time the power went out when she was still in the bath and they had both been left home alone. Ayase was less upset but was clearly alarmed. Her eyes were still wide and it made her look slightly stressed. Did Ayase hate thunderstorms as well?

"Are you okay?" he asked his sister.

She frowned harshly, glaring at him in anger. She lashed out in her fear and embarrassment. No one liked being frightened. "W-What are you talking about, _baka_? A bit of thunder doesn't w-worry me. Tch - don't even talk t-to me."

_Then why is your voice shaking, baka?_

That's what he wanted to ask but just shrugged instead and went back to his meal, eating a little faster. A second bout of thunder cracked overhead after a brief flash, though this time Kyousuke was ready for it and didn't so much as bat an eyelash. Kirino went stiff as a board, her teeth clenched around the end of her chopsticks. Ayase was hunched over a little, subdued.

"Ayase-san?" he asked. He waited until she was looking at him before continuing. "Are you okay?"

"Ah - I'm fine, Onii-san. It was just a surprise." she waved him off, though it wasn't very convincing.

_Oh well - it's not like I can do anything about it, anyway._

They finished their dinner in silence, punctuated by loud claps of thunder. By the end of it, Kirino looked to be at the end of her tether. She was liable to lash out at him if he didn't choose his words carefully, though he was saved from saying anything at all when Ayase offered to do the dishes, roping Kirino into helping. Smiling gratefully, Kyousuke announced that he was taking a shower and left the clean up to them.

As the shower spray lanced against his back, he sighed in relief. He had been looking forward to this all day. He just stood there for several minutes, enjoying the lukewarm water as it trailed down his body and ignoring the continuing claps of thunder overhead. Content, he started washing himself quickly. It wasn't until he got to his hair that he realised his shampoo was empty. Inspecting the bottles on display, he grunted - they were all Kirino's. One of the bottles even had a little Meruru on the label. It was probably for kids.

"This looks familiar..."

Shrugging, he lathered some into his hair. Sickly sweet strawberry assaulted his senses but he powered on, massaging it into his scalp and then rinsing it out.

"What's with strawberry today?"

Normally, he would soak in the bath after his shower but was happy enough without it. Invigorated by finally being clean after such a sticky day, he turned off the taps and began drying himself. Task complete, he dressed in a pair of shorts and an old shirt that he slept in. Towel around his neck, he stepped out of the bathroom after dropping his dirty clothes in the washing hamper next to the door. He was drying his hair when-

"Ah~!"

"Oh!"

Kyousuke paused, bowing.

"You can use the shower now, Ayase-san. Sorry for taking so long."

Ayase was standing by the stairs, looking a little vacant at his sudden appearance. Shaking her head, she nodded happily and bounded upstairs, no doubt in search of her bag. Just as she vanished from sight, Kirino exited the now dark living room, face puffed in anger.

"Stupid lightning," she muttered, stomping towards the stairs. "Stupid thunder, stupid storm."

"Hey Kirino,"

"Huh?"

She turned, surprised.

"Are you okay?"

"I already told you-"

"I know," he interrupted hastily. "But are you really?"

Indecision was written all over her face. Finally, she sighed. "I hate storms."

"Yeah. If you need anything..." he said, purposely leaving it hanging.

She took a step back. "Auh! You really are a _siscon_, aren't you? You think this is your chance, huh?"

Kyousuke palmed his face. "Why can't I just be concerned for my _imouto_, hm? I don't have to have ulterior motives."

"That sounds like something a _siscon_ would say to get their _imouto_ to lower their guard, doesn't it? You are really going full throttle tonight, aren't you? First you cook for me and now this."

He sighed. "I really don't understand what goes through that head of yours, sometimes."

"Hah - that makes two of us."

He watched her leave before shaking his head. She really was something else. Ayase appeared a moment later, carrying her bag and a towel. Kyousuke stepped away from the bathroom door to let her through, ready to go upstairs and waste some more time on the internet - because really, what else was there to do?

"Onii-san?"

He stopped at the foot of the stairs, glancing back.

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you like this more often?"

The question caught him by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't sexually harassed me all day," she said seriously, causing his head to drop. "And you haven't lied, either. Not once."

_Lied?_

He floundered, unsure what he should say.

"I like it when you are your regular kind self."

_What?_

He watched silently as she entered the bathroom and closed the door. Kyousuke remained standing there for about a minute afterwards, utterly bemused. What the hell had that been about?

"Those two," he whispered to himself, finally moving up the stairs and entering his bedroom, "are really doing my head in tonight."

Once more losing himself in the internet, he was able to distance himself from the storm raging outside, even as it picked up in intensity. He was halfway through watching some absurd video about dressing up your dog - who the hell did these kinds of things, anyway? - when the loudest crack of thunder yet tore him from his weird entertainment and back into reality, his windows rattling violently. His light gave no warning at all before going out, plunging his room into semi-darkness. The light from the laptop screen ensured it wasn't a total blackout, but the internet was now gone.

"Crap!" he swore, as he heard his sister yelp in the next room over. Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a small torch. Powering down the laptop, he flicked on the torch and made his way out into the hallway. Looking at his sister's door, he was unsurprised to find Kirino peeking out, clearly terrified.

"Kirino?" Ayase called from inside her bedroom, barely audible over the howling wind. From what Kyousuke could tell, she sounded worried.

"I'll be right back," he told his sister, before carefully navigating the staircase. Once on the first floor, he made sure everything was closed and locked tight before checking the switchboard. Opening it up, he flicked it up and down, but it was no good. He didn't really expect anything to happen but it was worth a shot. He could already feel the temperature in the house changing, with the aircon out of commission.

"_Aniki_," Kyousuke nearly had a stroke as Kirino pulled on his sleeve, scaring him half to death. Wait, what did she say?

"Looks like the power is going to be out for awhile," he said, shining the torch on his sister. She had snuck down the stairs after him. "Sorry, but I can't do anything about it."

He did one more quick sweep of the lower floor and then ushered Kirino upstairs. Ayase was waiting for them, standing by his bedroom door. It wasn't until the girls were standing side by side that he realised what they were wearing. They had obviously changed for bed after showering, for they were dressed in identical nightgowns. The sheer material looked to ripple under the light of the torch, clinging to their slender frames in an undeniably enticing manner. They were rather short, not even making it down to mid-thigh, showing copious amounts of smooth, unblemished skin, while the thin straps revealed their bare shoulders. Kyousuke had no doubt that if viewed from a certain angle, you would be able to see cleavage.

_What. The. Fuck._

He swallowed, his mouth feeling oddly dry. Kyousuke knew that these types of nightgowns were considered fashionable and were probably extremely comfortable to sleep in, but they were seriously dangerous!

"Onii-san," Ayase said quietly, jolting him from his thoughts. He had been staring at her chest and prayed to every God imaginable that she had not noticed him doing so. Even worse, he had also looked at Kirino. "Um - c-could we stay in your room tonight?"

Kyousuke thought he heard glass break somewhere. Probably deep within his psyche.

_What?!_

"What?" he said stupidly.

"This storm is a bit rough," she continued, not noticing that she had probably just completely broke his brain. "And - I mean, don't get the wrong idea," she quickly said, waving at him with one of her hands as if warding off an evil spirit. "It's just - we would feel a lot safer... with you... around..."

_What?!_

Kyousuke stared at them. He waited for Kirino to object - to say _something_ that would indicate that Ayase was just pulling his leg, having a laugh at his expense - but she remained shockingly silent. Any moment now... any moment, aliens were going to abduct him. They already had his sister and her friend. These two girls were impostors. They were going to take him next.

"Ah - Onii-san?"

"Er - sure." he answered without thinking.

_What did I just agree too?_

Was it just Kyousuke's imagination or did they both look oddly happy? He remained motionless as Kirino took the torch, explaining that they were going to get their blankets and the spare futons. Then they were gone and he was left to ponder in the dark what had just occurred.

He was still standing there when they returned with their things. He followed obediently as they entered his room, still dazed at the sudden turn of events. Trying to regain some semblance of control, he shuffled over to the windows and shut the curtains as the two young girls set up their futons. It would shield them from the flashes of lightning, if nothing else.

_Okay, calm down. Calm down. Kyousuke, calm down!_

Breathing heavily through his nose, he crawled into his bed. He tried not to look. He really did - but Kirino was bending over, adjusting her pillows and her nightgown was riding up. He had the horrible urge to reach out and run her fingers against her inner thighs. It only got worse when Ayase joined her, though she was facing him and he got a glorious glimpse of her brea-

_Oh god._

Kyousuke glared at the ceiling.

Kirino and Ayase finished arranging their beds and finally settled down, wiggling under their blankets. The torch turned off with a click.

_Well, this isn't awkward at all..._

Kirino and Ayase were whispering but he wasn't able to make out what they were saying. Girl talk? He wasn't sure he wanted to know. He reached out for his alarm clock and pressed the button on top, illuminating the time. Luckily it ran on battery.

_9:49 PM_

Even with the pounding rain and howling wind, with the rumbling thunder and general outlandish situation he was currently experiencing with his sister and her friend staying in his room, Kyousuke was somehow able to nod off. The only reason he knew this was because something bumping him in the side very clearly woke him up sometime later.

Blinking blearily, Kyousuke listened as the storm continued to rage. He felt a little sluggish, his rest having been interrupted before he could truly settle in. How long had he been asleep? It felt like only a few minutes had past.

Attempting to sit up, he froze. His arms were trapped and something was pressed against his chest, a pleasant weight that awoke something primal inside him. Shifting, he felt smooth, incredibly soft skin against his legs - _entwined_ with his legs. Small puffs of breath ghosted across his shirt and when he craned his neck down, he could smell toothpaste. The lack of light made it impossible for him to see clearly, but-

_I must be dreaming._

Snuggled against him on each side were two beautiful girls.

"What..." he whispered hoarsely.

One of the girls shifted. He wasn't sure who it was until, "Mm, shut up, _Aniki_. Just go to sleep."

Kirino.

The atmosphere was stifling. The humidity was still high and having two girls pressed against him only made it warmer. They had removed his blanket at some point and the three of them were only covered by a thin sheet, which was beginning to dampen with their sweat. His bed was a single, so they were practically draped all over him.

"But what-"

"You should listen to your sister, Onii-san," Ayase muttered, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. Her long, manicured nails felt good as her hand moved down his body before slipping under his shirt, scraping against his bare stomach in the most pleasurable of ways. Kirino's hand followed, snaking down and under, and only stopping when it lay above his heart. Their tangled legs tightened on his own and the result was young, budding flesh pressed against him on all sides. "Don't get the wrong idea. W-We are just taking comfort in your presence."

He couldn't help it. He felt his shorts tighten almost painfully. If they shifted just a little more, their thighs would feel how hard he was. He was almost certain that it would result in death.

_How can I not get the wrong idea, you stupid girls?_

"Goodnight, Onii-chan." they said in perfect unison.

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.

_...my sister and my sister's friend can't be this... sexy._

OoOoO

**Cow: **Take advantage, Kyousuke! DO IT.


	12. Nekomimi

He wasn't exactly sure why he was doing this. Perhaps he was just curious. He needn't have come, after all - he could have just waited until Monday, where they were sure to come across one another at school. More than sure, really. They both had club activities. He could have returned them then, with minimal effort.

But still, here he was.

He took a moment to admire the house he was standing in front of, then to the pair of _nekomimi_ he held in his hands. He idly brushed his thumb over the soft material, marvelling at their make. She was truly skilled at sewing. They had been left at his place after her most recent visit, half wedged between the cushions of the living room couch.

They had been cosplaying - or rather, she had been, along with his sister, Kirino. His parents had been absent and it had been Kirino's idea. Kyousuke had been gang pressed into being the photographer, though not until he was threatened repeatedly by his little sister about not getting the wrong idea or she'd beat him to death. He took it all in stride, as usual.

With all the different combinations they had tried, it wasn't surprising that something had been left behind. Kuroneko had supplied most of the costumes, though Kyousuke wasn't surprised to learn that Kirino had a few hidden away, as well. Strangely, the whole thing had been rather fun for him. He dared not mentioned that to his sister, though.

It hadn't been until later that night he found the forgotten ears. Luckily, his mother and father had been preoccupied at the time and he was able to smuggle them to safety. What an awkward conversation that would have been. Not that they were completely oblivious to Kirino's hobby, because of what happened... but yeah, the less they knew, the better for everyone.

It hadn't been hard to find out where Kuroneko lived, after that. Saori was more than helpful in this regard. Again, he was in her debt. He needed to pay her back somehow, but the means eluded him. Maybe some anime goods?

He was starting to draw a few odd looks. How long had he been standing there, staring off into space? He should probably just get it over with.

Pushing open the gate, he slowly approached the front door. He could hear voices inside, feminine but unfamiliar. He remembered that she had mentioned something about sisters in passing sometime ago, but he had never met them. The thought of meeting Kuroneko's sisters made him oddly happy, but at the same time, wanting to flee.

Steeling his resolve, he knocked firmly. The voices quieted at once.

It took only a few moments, but the door was answered by a small girl. She had brown hair pulled back in low twintails and large brown eyes, which peered up at him curiously. He was momentarily thrown - she looked nothing like Kuroneko. Had he made a mistake? Was Saori playing a trick on him?

He decided to play it safe.

He bowed politely. "My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. I understood that - ah - Gokou Ruri-san lived here." He had almost said Kuroneko, but was able to stop himself in time. If this was one of her sisters, he wasn't certain if they knew her handle name or not.

"Ruri-nee?"

So it was one of sisters, then. What a relief.

"Ah - I have something that belongs to her. She left it behind when she visited."

He showed her the _nekomimi_. The young girl stared at them for a moment, before smiling widely. She obviously recognised them.

"Are you one of Ruri-nee's friends?" she asked happily, giving him a quick once over. Kyousuke rubbed his neck. It felt like he was being judged. "You look really plain."

What a brat.

"Hm - Kousaka. That name sounds familiar..." she gazed at him intently. "Ah! You must be Bitch-san's brother."

_Bitch-san?_

"You can come in. I'll go get Ruri-nee."

Stepping inside, Kyousuke removed his shoes as he said, "Sorry for the intrusion." The small brown hair girl introduced herself as Hinata before showing him into the living room. The Gokou household was more in the style of a traditional Japanese house than his own; s_houji_ divided the living room from the hallway. As he entered, he was greeted by a second little girl, who had the same eye colour as Kuroneko. Her hair was darker than Ruri's, though - and much shorter, in a bowl-cut style. The small girl gazed up at him in surprise.

"Nee-chan?" she questioned hesitantly.

Hinata smiled at her sister. "Tama-chan, this is one of Ruri-nee's friends. Kousaka-kun, this is Tamaki-chan."

_Kousaka-kun, huh?_

"Yo." he greeted, trying to look as harmless as possible.

Kyousuke grinned nervously, awaiting her response. The tiny girl stared at him for a moment longer before beaming at him.

"Hello!" she said cheerfully.

"Thank you for having me."

"Aha - can I call you onii-chan?"

Kyousuke felt strangely warm around the neck at those words. She was a much cuter little sister than Kirino, hands down. He hoped his own little sister never met this girl, as she would surely go instantly insane at the mere sight of her. As mature as she liked to portray herself to the public, Kirino really was hopeless sometimes when it came to things like that. She would go _otaku-mode _faster than you could blink.

That was probably why Kuroneko had never invited the model over, as of yet. The protection of her _imoutos_. That was... actually kind of sad and creepy. Poor Kirino.

Kyousuke answered before his mind wandered too much. "S-Sure."

"I'll go get Ruri-nee," Hinata piped up before dashing out of the room, cackling. "This is going to be great!"

Kyousuke blinked. That didn't sound ominous at all.

Seating himself on the floor, he watched quietly as Tamaki resumed whatever it was she was drawing before they interrupted her. Tilting his head to the side, he couldn't help but smile as she attacked the paper with a ferocity that only a child could possess. She was surrounded by crayons of all colours and lengths, though she was heavily favouring pink. Checking out the picture, he blinked.

_That kind of looks like-_

"Are you drawing Meruru?" he asked.

"_Hai!_"

Kyousuke chuckled to himself as Tamaki continued to colour her picture wildly - staying within the lines meant little at that age. Yeah - Kirino would lose her mind if she ever met this girl.

"Kousaka-_kuuuuuun~_"

Hinata had returned. Kyousuke expected Kuroneko to appear any moment but no one followed the small brown haired girl into the room. Giving Hinata a questioning look, the girl grinned cheekily in response.

"Ruri-nee is a bit busy," she explained, trying but failing to contain a laugh. "But you can come through, if you want."

Kyousuke wasn't sure why, but Hinata was almost bursting with mirth. Something about this situation made him feel extremely cautious. Was Kuroneko having a bath? Kyousuke shook his head wildly, ignoring the way his cheeks burned. That was the last thing he needed to think about right now, no matter how much he wanted to fantasise about her soft, pale skin and her small, lithe body-

"Ah - I wouldn't want to intrude."

Did she have any more beauty marks like the one under her eye? The mere thought had his heart racing. He had a decent fetish for glasses, but little things like beauty spots near a nipple really got him going-

"Come, come," Hinata pleaded, throwing restraint to the wind and pulling on his arm. Kyousuke stumbled to his feet and was lead out of the living room and further down the hallway. He heard Tamaki's feet pad against the ground behind him, obviously curious on what was going on, enough so to leave her picture.

"Hey - wait, what is going on?" he asked hastily.

"_Huhuhu_ - Ruri-nee is talking to the denizens of darkness and doesn't want to be disturbed, but I'm sure you'll be welcome."

_Denizens of darkness? Is she cosplaying?_

They approached an open door. As they drew nearer, Kyousuke could make out the familiar voice of Kuroneko from within. Hinata brought them to halt just outside, peeking around the door frame eagerly. Tamaki, seemingly untroubled by her sister's behaviour, followed her example, tucking in under Hinata and peering into the room. Kyousuke hesitated for a moment, unsure-

"_Kyousuke-sama_~!"

_What?_

Startled at the sudden mention of his name, he copied the younger Gokou sister's.

Kuroneko was dressed in her usual gothic lolita clothing based on the Queen of Nightmare from _Maschera_, just like the first time they met. His eyes traced the familiar black dress with cross-shaped detail around the hem and the frilly white top she wore under a black bolero. Because they were inside, her Mary Janes were absent from the assemble but she still wore the grey stockings and rose-adorned headband to complete the picture. Once upon a time, he had thought she looked like a complete weirdo in such a getup.

Now?

She looked adorable.

She was posing in front of a mirror, arm outstretched as she talked to her reflection. Hinata was laughing into her hand, stifling any and all sound from reaching her sister.

"The angels have been defeated," Kuroneko was saying in her most serious Queen of Nightmare voice. "Driven back by our combined strength. They quake in terror, hiding behind their holy spells that deny us entry into Heaven. It is as it should be."

She was cosplaying, then. Alone. Kyousuke was reminded that, like Kirino, Kuroneko never really had anyone to share her _otaku_ self with - at least, not in real life. How many hours had she spent in this room, losing herself in her magnificent imagination? It was sad, in a way - but that was in the past; now she had friends. Kirino, Saori - even Sena-san and the other members of the Game Research Club.

And she had Kyousuke.

Kyousuke often jokingly lamented the day he discovered his sister's strange hobby - but in reality, it was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. Without that happening, none of rest would have been possible. Meeting Saori and Kuroneko, learning about _otaku_ culture, growing closer to his little sister, joining a school club and making new friends...

"_Kukuku _- do not worry, my love. They will never trouble us again. Our time together is now eternal."

Kyousuke rubbed his neck, wondering if he should pull back. Her conversation with her imagination was starting to get a little embarrassing. He had to grab Hinata's shoulder to stop her from falling over and alerting Kuroneko to their presence, she was laughing so hard, her whole fist nearly stuffed in her mouth.

Kuroneko, oblivious to her audience, then said something that completely blindsided Kyousuke and Hinata both. Clutching her hands to her chest, she shuffled toward the mirror and leaned forward, uttering softly, "Kyousuke-sama, make this night complete. The spells binding my chastity are no longer. Let us make love."

And then she kissed the mirror.

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.

Kyousuke had to grab the wall to keep from collapsing in shock, dropping the _nekomimi_ he had been hoping to return. Hinata was not so lucky, falling to the ground and nearly choking on her fist. Luckily for them, Kuroneko was so absorbed in her fantasy that she never heard Hinata hit the ground or the sudden heavy exhale that left Kyousuke like a deflated balloon.

_Wha..._

_What..._

_Wha..._

Hinata gazed up at him in horror. Kyousuke now understood that she had wanted to tease and embarrass her sister a little by showing Kyousuke what she was doing, but she had never suspected anything so... so...

"_Onee-chan~!_" Tamaki called, shattering the silence. Hinata and Kyousuke froze, while Kuroneko stiffened, lips still pressed against the mirror. "_Onii-chan_ is here!"

_Oh god no..._

"_Onii-chan?_" she questioned.

Kuroneko turned slowly. Her face was flushed and her eyes half-lidded; combined with her red contacts, it made her look incredibly lustful - sinful. That changed when she spotted Hinata on the floor and then Kyousuke clutching the wall like it was the safe-post in a game of tag.

Seconds past agonizingly slowly.

"_S-Senpai?_" she whispered hoarsely, finally speaking. They stared at each other silently for several more moments. Then, without warning, she staggered and feinted, crumpling to the floor in a heap.

"K-Kuroneko!" he shouted.

OoOoO

**Cow: **I was reading through these oneshots and realised that I hadn't really done much with Kuroneko yet - the novel chapter doesn't really count - even though she is one of the main heroines. I found that rather strange, so I decided to fix that immediately.

For those of you who want me to follow up the Storm chapter - I won't be doing that yet, but I may in the future. It was left as it was for that reason, so I could add more to it. But for now, though, I think the next chapter will probably either be about Kanako or another of the less often thought of girls.

Thanks for all the reviews, as well. I have fun reading them.


	13. Ideal World

Kuroneko shifted nervously, clutching her small handbag with both hands. Glancing from side to side, she inspected the familiar surroundings. It felt like she hadn't been here in forever, but it had only been just over a year in reality. Still, this place held some very fond memories - and not just for her, but for many of her friends.

She was standing in the apartment complex Kyousuke had inhabited for such a short time, while he studied furiously for his mock exam. He had only lived there for a month - but the place must have grown on him, for he was now living there fulltime as he attended university. It was the first time she had visited him alone in such a long time. These days, they only saw each other when their circle met up. Even then, being in university meant that Kyousuke was often very busy and that meant he couldn't attend every meeting. It made her sad - and Saori, too - but that was life.

When they did meet up, they made sure to make the most of it.

But today was different. Out of the blue, Kyousuke had text her the night before, requesting her presence. Though surprised, Kuroneko hadn't had to think long on her answer. She had replied immediately, setting a time that was appropriate for the both of them. And now here she was.

She knew she shouldn't feel nervous. It was just Kyousuke. How long had they known each other, now? They had even attended the same school for a short while, and during that time, she had often visited him, alone or otherwise. But again, this was different. This was the first time they were going to be alone since _then_.

Since he had reluctantly broke her heart and admitted his love for Kirino.

Trembling, she took a deep breath. Idly brushing her clothes, she attempted to compose herself. She was dressed simply; white leather sandals along with her white dress she had worn to Comiket what felt like a life time ago, though it wasn't the exact same dress but a copy. In the past year, she had grown a little, after all - in certain areas, the old dress would not have fitted as well as before. Resting on her head was a large sun hat, completing the cute look.

She knew they couldn't be together, but that didn't mean her feelings for him had lessened. If anything, they were probably even stronger than before. He was just too damn kind. Dressing up to impress him - it was only natural. Even though Kirino and Kyousuke had returned to being 'regular siblings', she understood that their love for each other was not something you could just switch off. Regardless of whether or not they were dating, Kirino was off-limits - and so was Kyousuke.

It was sad, but that was the truth of it.

Shaking her head, she steeled her resolve. She didn't know what this meeting was about, but she wasn't going to back down now. No matter how nerve wracking, she was going to see him.

So she knocked.

It only took a few moments and then the door was answered. Kyousuke smiled at her, dressed in a simple white t-shirt and an old pair of sweatpants. His hair was tussled, like he had just gotten out of bed. Kuroneko fought the rising blush but knew she had failed, her cheeks feeling warm.

He greeted her warmly. "Please, come in."

Stepping inside, Kyousuke closed the door behind her.

Kuroneko removed her sandals and moved further into his apartment, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. The room was filled with the scent of his cologne and frankly, it was driving her wild. His desk was where it used to be, along with everything else. It was like stepping back in time. It was incredibly nostalgic and made her feel a deep longing for times past.

"So, what did you wan-" she began to say before choking on her words with a gasp. Kyousuke had moved in behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, cradling her intimately against his body. She tensed in shock, about to protest when his chin brushed against her exposed shoulder. Shivering, she could do nothing but gasp again when his lips - his hot, wet lips - pressed against her neck.

"Ah - what are you doin-auuh!"

Kuroneko felt her cheeks burn hotly as he attacked her neck with passion, dragging his teeth pleasurably against her soft skin. He suckled gently, lapping at her flushed skin with his tongue as his hands softly gripped her hips, rubbing gentle circles. Goosebumps erupted all over her body and she panted harshly, feeling her panties moisten by the second.

She had no idea what was going on, but she never wanted it to end.

He spun her around so suddenly that she almost fell and if it wasn't for his warm hands, she would have. Her hat fluttered to the floor along with her handbag, forgotten. Face to face, she saw the lust etched into his features. Something warm pulsed in her belly at the sight and she almost groaned at the feeling. Hungry, he captured her lips in a bruising kiss. Her eyes widened, before closing blissfully, opening her mouth to him. It was wet, hot and incredibly arousing, her small breasts pressing against his chest as she attempted to get even closer. She could feel his hard cock pressing into her stomach and again, something warm pulsed inside her and her panties felt even wetter.

They pulled back, panting harshly. A small string of saliva bridged the gap between them, breaking when they shifted a little further apart. Kuroneko was dazed and so horny she could die, but her common sense was now fighting for control. Her mind screamed at her to pull back, to stop, no matter how good it felt, no matter how long she had been waiting for something like this to happen. This was a betrayal of her friend, Kirino. They couldn't do this! He moved in for another kiss but she turned her head, trying to speak.

"_Senpai_ - K-Kyousuke, what is this?" she whispered hoarsely as he didn't miss a beat, nipping at her neck in absence of her mouth. She could feel a love bite beginning to form. "What about K-Kirino? We can't."

"What about Kirino, Ruri?" he whispered sinfully, grinding his hard-on against her. She shuddered at the implications and the way her real name rolled off his tongue. "Why can't we?"

"You two love each other!" she said fiercely, trying to pull back.

"We do," he admitted, holding her tightly. One of his hands wandered down and gripped her perky ass, giving it a squeeze. She bit her lip at the feeling. "But I love you too."

She felt dizzy, like she was drowning. There wasn't enough air! He attacked her mouth once more, biting her lower lip sensually. She whimpered sexily, his words turning her on as much as his actions. She was moments from giving in completely - moments from allowing him to do anything, anything at all, from ruining her friendship with her best friend.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" he asked between kisses. "Your ideal world, right?"

"W-What?"

He turned her around again and she nearly stopped breathing.

Kirino was standing in the doorway to Kyousuke's bedroom, watching them with an expression of unadulterated want. Kuroneko stared in shock, her eyes tracing the long, athletic legs of her model friend. She was wearing nothing but a pair of tiny blue and white stripped panties that did nothing to hide her arousal and one of Kyousuke's old school shirts, unbuttoned and hanging loosely from her shoulders. The curves of her pert breasts were on display and Kuroneko felt her belly clench at the sight, a small cry leaving her lips.

"What's wrong, you damn cat?" Kirino asked, shedding the shirt. It pooled at her feet, revealing her hard, pink nipples. They looked slightly wet and swollen, needy and abused. Kirino smirked, noticing where she was looking. "You interrupted us. Now you'll have to join us. It's only fair, right? As compensation, of course."

Kuroneko trembled with lust, crying out again as she felt Kyousuke's hand leave her waist, dip under her dress and press against her mound. She felt his warm chuckle against her hair as he began to stroke her through the material of her soaked, sodden panties. She was so turned on that it wasn't long until, with a keening hiss and a slight uncontrollable jolt, she slumped against him. His cock jutted against her shapely behind, pressing into her roughly as she rested against him, attempting to catch her breath. She felt so hot.

"She just had an orgasm," Kyousuke explained shamelessly, sounding smug. Kuroneko hummed in annoyance as he removed his hand, inspecting the thin film on his fingers. "She is really sensitive - just like you, Kirino."

"Is that a fact?" Kirino replied, sauntering over. Kuroneko watched with unfocused eyes as the younger girl slowly reached forward and pushed the straps of her dress down her arms. It dropped to her waist, revealing her small, white lacy bra. "Oooh, isn't she so cute, Kyousuke? Can we keep her?"

He laughed. It was a laugh unlike any Kuroneko had ever heard issued from Kyousuke. It made her heart jolt and her insides squirm pleasurably. "Of course we can. This is what she wanted, remember? Her ideal world - the three of us together, happy."

Kuroneko knew that if Kyousuke hadn't been propping her up, she would have fallen over at his words, even disregarding what he was doing to her physically. Her legs felt like jelly and she was making a mess all over her thighs; she could feel her arousal leaking down in thin trails, tickling her.

"Y-You two-" she began, but Kirino shushed her, placing a finger against her lips. With her other hand, Kirino reached forward and lifted her bra over her small breasts, revealing them to the Kousaka sibling's sight. Her nipples were stiff and light pink, and tightened to painful levels when Kirino ran one of her perfectly manicured nails over the taut peaks, teasing her. Kyousuke joined in on the fun, softly tweaking one of her nipples with the hand he used to get her off, smearing her discharge across her breast.

"Mmmm," Kirino hummed sensually, before leaning forward and playfully licking up the glistening trail Kyousuke had left behind. Kuroneko seized up - the combination of her best friend softly sucking on her breast and licking up her arousal nearly caused her brain to shut down completely.

"Kuh!" she exhaled roughly, shuddering. Kirino chuckled against her flesh, pressing herself against the smaller girl suggestively, their breasts brushing together. And then something happened that really _did_ make her mind shut down, the poor girl nearly passing out from sheer shock and painful, primal _want_.

Kyousuke's sweat pants brushed against her calves as they dropped to the floor, his hot, bare, incredibly hard cock brushing her inner thighs from behind. Looking down, Kuroneko saw the tip of his cock peeking out from her own crotch, moments before it pressed up flat against her core.

"Ehehe," Kirino giggled, also looking down. "Look at that - he seems pretty eager, doesn't he? Geez, my brother is such a pervert - just look at him. He's like this all the time, now. He just can't control himself. What an arrogant man."

"As if you hate it, you damn brat." Kyousuke returned, sounding incredibly cocky. "Who is the one that comes to breakfast with no panties on, huh? And likes to bend over and flash the whole world."

"Go die, you _siscon_." Kirino fired back, sounding remarkably affectionate considering her words. Only these two...

Kirino shimmied down, laying hot wet kisses to Kuroneko's trim tummy. At last reaching her goal, she grinned up at her _otaku_ friend. "I'll show you how it's done and then it can be your turn - _doujinshi_ just isn't the same, you know?"

Brushing her long hair aside, Kirino leaned forward and engulfed the tip of Kyousuke's cock in her mouth.

OoOoO

**Cow:** ...wha-?

So, I was meant to be releasing a Kanako chapter this time, but then this happened... yeah. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I had to get down on paper - er, screen? - as fast as I could. Kuroneko's ideal world, yeah? Or something like that.


	14. Wannabe Idol and her Wannabe Manager

When Kyousuke woke up on this fine Sunday morning, it was like any other. He had slept in like any ordinary student would on their day off and he had completed his typical morning rituals without interruption, quietly dressing in his room after a short shower and brushing his teeth. Glancing out the window, he admired the cloudless sky and the warmth of the sun, listening contently to the birdsong that filled the neighbourhood.

As he entered the living room, everything was as it should be - his mother was busying herself in the kitchen, happily preparing breakfast, while his father was seated in front of the television, watching the late morning news. Kirino was absent from the picture, but that wasn't all that surprising. Late into the night, Kyousuke could hear his little sister playing on her computer, no doubt attempting to clear one of her _eroge_. She probably wouldn't rise until near noon, as she didn't get many opportunities to rest during the school week.

On Sunday, the Kousaka household was rather laidback. Breakfast was served later than normal, giving everyone the chance to relax a bit more on their day off.

"Good morning," he announced, nodding toward his father and then his mother. "Father, mother."

"Morning dear~" Yoshino called, darting around the kitchen with boundless energy. She looked strangely upbeat, but it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. His mother could be like that sometimes. While Kirino took after their father in many ways, she also had several mannerisms from their mother. Being full of energy was one of them. "About time you woke up, I was starting to wonder, you know~?"

Kyousuke grimaced, knowing there was a subtle insult in there somewhere but unable to pick it out. Just what did she think he did in his room all the time? Something perverted, no doubt - urgh.

"Kyousuke," his father grunted in return, acknowledging his greeting before returning to the news. That was typical.

Sitting down at the table, it wasn't long before breakfast was served. Giving his thanks, Kyousuke began devouring his rice, miso soup, _nori_ - dried seaweed - and _tamagoyaki _- rolled omelette. He was in the process of dipping his _nori_ in his small saucer of soy sauce when his mother commented about Kirino's absence, sounding worried.

"That girl - is she not feeling well? She doesn't normally sleep in so long, unlike someone I could name."

"Leave me alone," Kyousuke answered sullenly, rolling his seaweed with rice and chewing it thoughtfully. It was pretty good. Swallowing, he decided on allaying his mother's fears, even though he didn't really have to say anything; one of the many differences of the Kyousuke from a year ago and the Kyousuke of today was coming to the defence of his sister, even when it wasn't required. "She was up all night, studying. I could hear her complaining about it."

Yoshino accepted his lie at face value. "Oh, is that so? She's always working so hard, even when she doesn't have to. Why can't you be more like her, Kyousuke? You are such a slacker."

"Leave me alone," he repeated, continuing with his meal. Yoshino grinned at him cheekily in response while his father calmly went about eating his own food. Yes, this morning was just like any other weekend morning. It wasn't until after breakfast that things started getting a little strange. With his life as of late, he should have learnt by now not to let his guard down - ever.

He was stacking his dishes next to the sink when the doorbell rang. He took little notice of it, moving over to the fridge after completing his task and pulling out a can of soda while his mother went out and answered the door. Cracking it open, he was about to take a sip when his mother returned, calling out to him.

"Hm?"

"There is someone here to see you - a girl."

"What?" he asked, bewildered. "Manami?"

"No, someone else," she replied, sounding genuinely surprised. For some reason, he found that tone really annoying. "Honestly, I thought it must have been some mistake. She is much too cute - but she knew your name, so..." she shrugged, clearly confused.

"Uh - right," he uttered, slouching out into the entrance hall to see who it was. For some reason, it felt like his mother was holding something back. Did she know who it was and she wasn't telling him?

He blinked.

"Aha~! Hello, _manager-saaaan!_"

"Wha-!"

Kurusu Kanako beamed at him happily, her voice dripping with her over-the-top cuteness she used to annoy or charm, depending on the victim. She was dressed in a cute red checkered miniskirt, a pair of thigh-high socks and plain brown boots, and a sleeve-less white button-up shirt, with matching red checkered tie. Hanging from her shoulder was a small brown leather handbag that went with her boots. She simply looked adorable, especially with her usual twintails in place - so much so, in fact, that Kyousuke gaped at her, speechless. The young idol wannabe giggled at his expression, preening.

"Is Kanako's beauty too much, manager-san?" she asked, giving a little twirl. Her skirt flared at the action, showing dangerous amounts of skin. "Aha - the look on your face is priceless, it's almost gross."

"Ah - Kanako-san? What - how?" he stuttered, confused. She was calling him manager-san - how had she worked it out? What happened to that lovable idiot who got tricked into cosplaying Meruru? That girl couldn't have worked out his identity, could she? His disguise hadn't been a very good one - all he had done was put on a suit, a pair of sunglasses and style his hair a little bit - but she had shown no signs that she recognised him that day.

Kanako gave another giggle. "Ayase told Kanako who you were - she owed Kanako a favour, see? And well, Kanako wanted your address and she got all weird about it, but Ayase hates lies, so she finally told the truth after Kanako teased her about it even though she got really scary. Man, I couldn't believe it when she said that Kanako's very first fan was Kirino's plain older brother - what was that other name you gave me, huh? You are pretty sneaky. Oh - is that for me?"

Kyousuke sighed as she took his can of soda. What a damn brat. She wiped the lip, even though he hadn't even begun drinking it yet. So Ayase was to blame, huh? Kyousuke worried that she might have let slip about his reasons for posing as her manager, but then shook them away. Ayase was a lot of things, but she wouldn't betray Kirino for anything - this much he knew for certain. His troublesome sister's secret was still safe. But now he had something else to deal with. He never expected to be found out like this.

He sighed again. This was such an odd situation that he didn't even know how to react or how this was going to play out. He supposed that introductions were in order - a real one, this time, even if Ayase had already told her his name. He bowed politely. "Sorry about that - my name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Please, call me whatever suits you."

Kanako took several large gulps of the soda, gasping with tears in her eyes as she came up for air. Then she grinned, simpering, "Hm, what a polite guy - how about _Kyousuke-kun_~?"

_She could really hit the high note, couldn't she? As expected of such a talented singer_, he thought - Kyousuke hadn't forgotten the amazing performance she put on as Meruru. That day, he had learned that his sister truly had befriended some amazingly outrageous people. They made him look bad being such an average guy.

"So," he began, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "How come you wanted to see me?"

"I thought we could hang out, you know?" she said casually.

Kyousuke honestly didn't know how to respond to that, so he repeated hesitantly. "Er - hang out?"

"Yeah. I want to learn more about Kyousuke-kun. And I know Kyousuke-kun will agree, since he is a total _lolicon_."

"Who are you calling a lolicon?!"

To be honest, he felt a little embarrassed by her honesty. Though, strangely, he also felt relieved. He was used to dealing with girls who were incredibly vague in their intentions that it was a breath of fresh air to deal with someone who was much more straight forward. Even if she could be painfully blunt at times. But why did she want to get to know him?

"Uh, sure," he agreed, shrugging. It wasn't like he had any plans for the day. He was intending to laze around at home; maybe muck around on the internet, so getting out was appealing. It was a pretty good day, from the looks of things. "Let me grab my wallet."

"_Huhu _- a man who knows his role. Kanako hit the jackpot."

...what she said made him feel a little nervous.

It didn't take him long to get his things, but he was waylaid on the staircase by his mother. Kyousuke paused, unsure - she was frowning, looking rather serious, something that rarely happened. He remembered the time she first saw Kuroneko in her school uniform, being invited up to his room - such a cold glare. It was because she thought he was dating Manami while messing around with a younger girl - that's the type of person his mother thought he was.

"Mother?"

"Is that your girlfriend?"

"Gah!"

Kyousuke coughed, thumping his chest. He probably should have expected something like that.

"She is one of Kirino's friends, right?" she continued. "I was pretty surprised when she asked for you. Putting the moves on such a young girl, I should have expected it after last time - how long have you been dating? You should tell your mother these things, you know~!"

Kyousuke felt like pulling his hair out as she laughed. She was teasing him - he should have known. "You are such a clown sometimes."

"Aha - that isn't a very nice thing you say about your mother, Kyousuke."

Grumbling, he slid around her, but stopped near the bottom, half turning towards her. Something had just occurred to him. "Please don't tell Kirino. It's rather important."

"Oh?"

"We are trying to surprise her with something," he invented wildly, knowing his mother was hopeless at keeping a secret. How else did the neighbours know about what kind of porn he enjoyed? Perhaps if she believed it was for the benefit of her precious daughter, she could control herself. If not, there was a very real chance that Kirino would blow her stack if she found out he had been out with one of her school friends. "Her friends want to show how much they appreciate her, so I'm helping out."

She tilted her head to the side, pondering what he said, before nodding. "Okay."

"Thanks, mom."

Kanako was waiting rather impatiently, her foot tapping the ground irritably. The soda she stole from Kyousuke was crushed in her fist. "Oh, there you are. How slow are you?"

"Yeah, yeah - let's go."

Slipping on a pair of trainers, he ventured out into the sun with his surprising companion. As they walked down the street, he felt a little awkward - he didn't know this girl very well, so he was having trouble coming up with things to talk about. If it was Manami, they would just idly chat about every day, unremarkable topics - in a sense, very normal and boring. Kanako was the complete opposite of Manami, though. She was a cute, stylish middle-school girl who was incredibly talented at singing and dancing. If she was the complete opposite of Manami, she was even more removed from Saori and Kuroneko - so he couldn't pull experience from dealing with them, either. Ayase was perhaps the closest, but his track record with the beautiful model was not the best. He didn't feel like being threatened with police action. In the end, he decided to go with what he knew about her and hesitantly spoke up as they entered a park.

"Um - so, how are things?" he said lamely while she binned the crushed soda can. "I mean - did Ayase introduce you to her modelling agency like she promised?"

Kanako nodded happily. "Yeah, I've been working for them for a little while now. Kanako is amazing, right? I don't get as much work as Ayase or Kirino-chan, but I still get enough to earn some decent cash. I should have gotten into it sooner. Those two get all the really good shoots, though. Kanako is still a bit _loli_, you know? I get used for the younger consumer."

Kyousuke understood that could be a little frustrating. He took a few moments to reply, thinking over his words carefully. "Does that bother you? Being used that way?" She didn't seem very annoyed by it, though she was frowning a little.

She shrugged indifferently. "Kanako gets paid to look cute, so there is nothing to be bothered about."

That was a pretty good way of looking at it. He was impressed.

"Kanako was also picked up as an official cosplayer for that anime - _Stardust Witch Meruru_. The modelling agency is into that stuff, as well."

"Wha-!? Really?" Kyousuke asked, shocked. It wasn't that he didn't think she could - when dressed in her magical girl attire, she looked _exactly_ like Meruru; she even sounded like her when she spoke and sang. Kanako would be perfect for the job. But didn't she hate that sort of stuff? And when did modelling agencies do things like cosplay? Were they involved in the _otaku_ culture now? "Uh - that is pretty surprising. I didn't think you would want to do something like that again. It sounded like you hate that sort of stuff, you know?"

Again, she shrugged, though this time she smiled at him. "Yeah, _otaku_ are disgusting, but like I said that time - Kanako likes being worshipped and thought of as cute. It was really fun, even with all those creepy people in the crowd. And it also pays really well - better than the regular modelling, even though I've only done a few small events. I also get to sing and dance, so I don't mind doing it. An idol should be able to do things like that, right?"

Kyousuke blinked at her enthusiasm before grinning broadly, his switch flipped. "You are really amazing, you know that? Go for gold! You'll be an idol in no time!"

"Why are you shouting all of a sudden?" she asked, though she didn't seem to mind all that much. If anything, it seemed to please her. She began to skip beside him, laughing haughtily. "And of course Kanako will be an idol in no time. I'm glad you understand. Ahahaha~!"

The silence that followed was a comfortable one. Soon enough, the park was left behind and the houses around them gave way to various small shops, arcades and cafés.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asked, looking around. He had just eaten breakfast, so he wasn't hungry at all. He could go for a drink, though. Kanako had stolen his soda. He then felt a chill go up his spine, a sense of dread that was well honed from hanging out with his sister in recent times.

"Let's go shopping!"

For some reason, those words made Kyousuke feel ill at ease.

The next few hours were full of clothes shopping, which really was the worst type of shopping imaginable. Kyousuke thought that following his sister around while she brought _eroge_ was bad, but this trumped it. He wasn't exactly sure why - they were just clothes, right? Perhaps it was just some inborn male thing. _Eroge_ and other _otaku_ assorted good might be rather embarrassing, but it was far from boring. Though watching Kanako try on different clothes wasn't exactly boring, either. It's just that she took so long to pick which clothes to try - which was boring, extremely so - that the modelling of said clothes was such a small payoff at the end of it. And really, Kanako wasn't afraid of showing a little skin and then teasing the hell out of him.

"P-Please, isn't that a bit short? I can almost see your panties."

"Ahaha~! _Lolicon_."

"Oi - keep your voice down, will you? I don't want to get locked up. And aren't you the one showing off more than she should? Don't you have any shame?"

"You are pretty cute when you're flustered, _Kyousuke-kun_. You can come in the dressing room, if you _liiiiike~!_"

"You damn brat!"

"I'll just get changed here, it doesn't matter."

"H-Hey, wait! Don't do that here! We'll get in trouble!"

That's how it went at almost every store. Kanako was quite a handful. Kyousuke was surprised they didn't get thrown out of each and every shop, but maybe it was because Kanako bought something from all of them. _The power of money solves all problems_, he thought as he slouched down the street, carrying dozens of bags. _It also causes me pain! _He was a little worried at the amount of money she was spending, but Kanako assured him that she had saved plenty for a day just like this.

It was nearly one o'clock when they finally sat down at a nearby café, Kyousuke hastily ordering a drink to quench his thirst. He almost sobbed as he drank all of it in one go, ordering a second as a follow up. Kanako smirked at him, ordering some food for herself and a drink.

"You can pay for this, right?" she asked arrogantly, idly searching through her handbag. "It's the least you could do."

"What is this, a date? Tch."

Honestly, he didn't mind paying all that much. He wasn't going to let her know that, though. It would be the end of his wallet, for sure. She was the very definition of a high maintenance girl.

"You are a bit slow, aren't you? Ahaha - that's why I like you."

He was about to retort when she pulled out a cigarette. He froze for a moment, staring at her blankly. Just as it touched her lips, he snatched it away angrily. She jumped, startled, before glaring at him hotly.

"Hey - what are you doing?" she yelled.

"Didn't I tell you last time not to smoke? You damn idiot!"

"You sound just like Ayase! You're the idiot! It isn't a real one, dummy. Now give it back!"

He blinked.

Now that he had it in his hand, it was obvious it wasn't a real cigarette, but one of those new electronic ones that were supposed to help people quit. He rubbed his fingers against the plastic cylinder, thoughtful. Instead of smoke, you inhaled vapour that was harmless. He was so surprised that he didn't even attempt to evade her as Kanako reached out and snatched it back, scowling.

"So, you're trying to quit, huh?"

"What of it?"

"That's really great, you know. Smoking is bad for you."

"You sound _exactly_ like Ayase. She won't shut up about it - and what's worse, she gets all scary when she does it. What are you two, my parents?"

Kyousuke shrugged. "It's the truth. You shouldn't damage your lungs with something like that. I'm glad you are trying to give up. Really."

Kanako flushed lightly at his praise. "You are such an idiot."

He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah."

"Anywaaaay - tell Kanako about Kyousuke-kun!"

"What do you want to know?"

Her food arrived at that moment, so she stashed her electronic cigarette back in her handbag for later.

"Kirino never talks about you - I didn't even know she _had_ a brother until we came over that day. Don't you guys get along or something?"

Just like Kanako, to go straight for the jugular.

"We never used to talk and would just ignore each other, no matter what," he explained, shrugging sheepishly, "But that has changed a little bit lately. She still hates me - I think - but..."

"Do you guys do dirty stuff together?"

"Oi! Where the hell did that come from?!"

She laughed mockingly. "You were all over her _that day_ - trying to undress your little sister on the floor. Totally gross!"

"Don't misunderstand!" he pleaded, wanting to bury his face in his hands but fighting the urge. "And don't say that so loudly! People might hear!"

"Ehehe ~ you are fun to tease."

"Urgh - really, please stop."

"So, what school do you go to?" she asked, settling for more normal question. He answered her readily, thankful to move off the subject of his relationship with his sister. After a few more mundane questions about him, she began eating.

He sipped his drink slowly as Kanako ate her food. Unlike what you would expect from a middle school girl, she wasn't taking dainty bites at all - she was taking large bites and washing it down with her cola, her cheeks almost bursting as she forced it down. He shook his head, unable to keep a smile off his face. Even if waiting around while she browsed for clothes had been boring, he was enjoying himself more than he thought he would be. It was strange, but Kyousuke realised he felt extremely comfortable around this girl after the initial awkwardness.

"Hey..." the young girl opposite him asked hesitantly. The fact that she sounded a little unsure of herself made him sit up and take notice.

"Y-Yeah?"

Kanako was biting her lip, worrying it between her teeth. Kyousuke felt a little hot around the collar. "Kanako was wondering..."

"Yeah?"

"Kanako was wondering if you could be her manager."

He opened his mouth to reply, realised he had nothing to say, so he closed it again. He stared at the twintailed girl, unsure if he had heard right. The silence started to stretch a little too long, so he echoed her faux-calmly.

"Manager?"

Kanako nodded seriously. "Yeah. I mean, the agency handles all the important stuff like contract negotiations and stuff like that. But Kanako has a pretty big event coming up and normally, we get a helper to run errands and stuff - and Kanako was pretty comfortable with you last time and was hoping you'd like to do it again."

_Was this why she asked me out today?_

"You would be paid, of course. Kanako would make sure of it - even though being around Kanako should be payment enough!"

_This girl..._

"Well," he began slowly. "I suppose I could. Do you just want me for this event?"

"And more!"

"I'm still a student, you know."

"So is Kanako. None of the events would happen during school time."

The pair stared at each other, one secretly hoping with all her heart that he would agree while the other thought furiously for any reason he should refuse. It wasn't like there was a Meruru event every other week, so it wouldn't take up too much of his time and affect his grades - and really, the money would be nice, as well. He wouldn't be able to do it around exam time, though. If he failed a test, his parents would never let him hear the end of it.

"...Okay, I'll do it!"

Kanako beamed at him. "Ahaha~! As if there was any doubt!"

"You damn brat."

_...you damn cute brat._

They hung around the shopping district for a little longer before calling it a day, slowly heading back to the park they had walked through earlier in the day, both licking ice creams they had bought on the way out. Even with his arms laden with bags, he wasn't having too much difficulty lapping at his treat - though watching Kanako's tongue dart out and lick her vanilla cone was really distracting; so much so that he nearly tripped on the curb as they crossed the road. She laughed at him loudly while he cursed.

"Watch where you are going, Kyousuke-kun. You are so clumsy."

He wanted to say it was her fault, but really, how could he?

Entering the park, they found a bench where he could unload the bags. Apparently, Kanako was being picked up by her sister here, so this was where they were going to part. She didn't live far away but with all her bags, it would be quite a hike. He would have carried them to the whole way, but Kanako wasn't ready to invite him over just yet.

"Well, I had fun today," he said, not lying. "Shouldn't we swap numbers? If I'm going to be your manager, you know?"

"That was pretty smooth - Kanako has high hopes for you, Kyousuke-kun."

"Why do you always take what I say and twist it?" he asked resignedly, but he had a small smile on his face. "Some guys might get the wrong idea, you know?"

"Heh," she chuckled cockily. "Here is my number."

They brought their phones together, trading their contact information. Kanako began typing on her cell furiously, probably giving him some ridiculous name. He looked down at his own phone for a moment, debating silently. Then, with a wide grin, he input a name for her contact details.

Kanako frowned at his smile, suddenly worried. "What did you just do? I don't like that look on your face."

Showing her his screen, he said cheerfully, "_Kanakana-chan~!_"

"Urk!"

The look on her face was priceless. She nearly dropped her ice cream.

"Well, I'm going now. Give me a call when you find out more about the Meruru event, okay?" he said, turning to go, "I had fun today."

"Wait!"

He blinked when he felt something soft touch his cheek. It was a strange sensation; wet, cold but with underlining warmth. Eyes wide, he turned to the small girl in shock. She smirked at him, trying to look superior, but it was ruined by her flushed face and the smeared ice cream on her lips.

"It's decided. Don't get the wrong idea, but you are now Kanako's property. Now you can go~! _Cya ~ Kyousuke-kuuun~!_"

He barely remembered leaving the park.

_...damn, when did I trip this flag? Her affection points are nearly at max! This is kinda scary..._

Before he knew it, he was standing outside his house. Staring blankly at the front door like a zombie, it took him a few moments to move, reaching out for the handle. He was about to grip it when the door was pulled open viciously and he blinked, surprised, face to face with his little sister.

"Uh..."

"You!" she snarled, seething. He took a step back hastily at the look of murderous intent on her face.

"What are yo-?"

"Stay the hell away from my friends!"

_...Shit. Thanks mom._

"And what is that on your face?!" she roared.

Startled at the odd question and the fact she seemed even _more_ pissed off than before, he touched his cheek where Kanako had pecked him goodbye. He went pale, fingers trembling as he moved them away so he could look down at his moist finger tips.

Melted vanilla ice cream. Surely, it hadn't taken on the shape of her lips, right?

The look of rage on Kirino's face said otherwise.

..._Fuck. What is this, an eroge? Thanks a lot, Kanako!_

OoOoO

**Cow: **Fairly popular idea - Kanako attempting to recruit Kyousuke as her manager. Even happens in the anime. Nothing ground breaking, just my spin on it, I guess.

Just for reference for anyone that cares, this takes place after Kirino returns from America, but before Kyousuke works as Kanako's 'manager' for the second time in the Light Novels. The event she is talking about when recruiting him is the one from the novels, where he meets Bridget-chan again - not to be mistaken with the one from the anime, where Kyousuke brings Kirino in the wedding dress.

But yeah, it's AU. So whatever.


	15. My Life is a Book Part 3

"Where have those two gone now?"

"Kiririn-shi and Kuroneko-shi sure are excited today."

"Don't remind me. They've been arguing even more than usual - I didn't think that was possible. Do you know why?"

"I believe there are rumours on the internet about a possible next season of _Maschera_. They are unconfirmed rumours, but the fan base is very optimistic."

"Ah - that explains Kuroneko, then... I guess that explains Kirino, as well. Good grief."

Kyousuke glanced around, trying to spot his troublesome little sister and her friend. After leaving the book store, the two younger girls had once again begun quarrelling non-stop about anime. While he had half heartedly listened in, most of it had flown right over his head which was entirely normal. He honestly couldn't believe he had not noticed the lack of insults assaulting his ears sooner, but when he finally did, he realised that the two girls had gone missing. Akihabara was a big place and he didn't relish the idea of trying to find them in the mass of humanity that was currently occupying the streets.

Luckily, he had Saori with him. He wasn't alone in his endeavour.

"So do you know where they went? I'd rather not leave Kirino to her own devices - knowing my luck, she'll get herself in trouble."

"Ehehe~ Kyousuke-shi is such a loving older brother. He can't spare the thought of being away from his cute little sister, even for a few moments!" his tall companion teased, giving him a cheeky smile. "Such devotion!"

"You have me totally wrong. Please don't say such ridiculous things." he replied calmly.

"Ehehe~" she laughed again, before holding a finger up to her chin in thought. The exaggerated pose was so cheesy that Kyousuke couldn't help but sigh, though a small smile tugged at his lips. The bag that contained a copy of his novel dangled from her wrist, making her look even more outrageous. "I believe Kuroneko-shi mentioned she wanted to visit _Sofmap_ - maybe we should try there?"

"Alright - that's close by, right?"

The two walked on in silence, swiftly cutting through the crowd of people in search of their friends. It wasn't long until they came upon the _Sofmap_ building and without pause, they entered. The building was rather large and from what Kyousuke could see, it had seven floors. All manner of electronics were on display; cameras, MP3 players, speakers and headphones, computer parts and screens, as well as DVDs, CDs, software, and games. There were also smaller accessories for phones, lights and other gadgets.

"They also sell used products on the other floors," Saori explained without being asked, knowing that Kyousuke's knowledge of Akihabara was rather lacking. "We will probably find them there, since they are a lot cheaper as well - Kuroneko-shi doesn't have that much money to spare."

He nodded, admiring a pair of headphones and the attached price. Once upon a time, he wouldn't even contemplate using his money on something so expensive. Now, though - with the royalties he was getting from book sales - such gadgets were no longer out of his reach. He hadn't yet splurged on anything major - but he was dying too. Nothing extravagant but something nice - and he really liked listening to music.

"See something you like, Kyousuke-shi?" Saori asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Yeah," he replied, coming to a decision. He waved off a well meaning customer services rep. "I think I might buy these, but let's go find Kirino and Kuroneko first."

There was an elevator nearby, awaiting their use. They stepped inside and waited for a moment, seeing if anyone else was going to join them. When no one did, Kyousuke left it to Saori to choose the floor as she knew best where they might be. The doors closed silently and the elevator being ascending, assaulting the pair with that unnerving feeling of vertigo that was common in all elevators. They were between the second and third floor when things took a turn for the worse. With a sudden jolt and a loud clang, the elevator came to a jarring halt, the lights flicking off.

Unprepared, Kyousuke stumbled. He hit the wall with a thud, his shoulder taking the brunt of his weight. He heard Saori stumble and hit the other wall, in a mirror of what happened to him. Something clattered on the floor, followed by a crunch - the unmistakable sound of crushed lenses underfoot.

"Kyaaa~!"

Kyousuke flinched at her scream, surprised. He had never heard his friend make such a sound before. He couldn't see a thing and reaching out with his hands, he attempted to find her by touch.

"Saori - are you okay? What happened?" he asked urgently, shuffling forward. The emergency lights flickered feebly before coming on, bathing the small room in a shade of fluorescent blue. Blinking at the sudden light, Kyousuke noticed Saori huddled in the corner, her face covered by her hands. Under her trainers were the remains of her swirl-patterned glasses she wore at all times, shattered glass littering the floor. The small shards glinted eerily under the unnatural emergency lighting. "Saori?"

Her shoulders were trembling alarmingly and he froze, unsure on what to do. He had never seen this side of her before - all he had ever seen was the confident, reliable, outgoing _otaku_ leader who tried hard for her new friends, bringing together their odd group with zeal and passion. This frightened creature in front of him was something new and unexpected, and he was momentarily thrown. Then he remembered where he was and the situation they were in.

His gut twisted with dread.

They were stuck in an elevator.

He couldn't blame Saori for being scared. To be honest, Kyousuke was feeling a little frightened as well. He had never experienced something like this before. What had happened? Were they in any danger? Did anyone know they were trapped?

Shaking his head, he took a steadying breath as he broke out in a cold sweat. Getting himself under control, he reached for the emergency telephone by the number pad. Holding it to his ear, he listened for any sound on the other end.

"Hello?" he asked uncertainly. He received no answer. He tried a few more times but he got the same result. Slamming the phone back into its holder, he swore. "Shit!"

"Ah~ Kyousuke-san? What's happening?"

Kyousuke turned, looking down at Saori in surprise. Her manner of speech had completely changed - as had the way she addressed him. It was much more feminine and lady-like, polite, completely removed from her normally brash and abrasive tone. The change made him pause for a moment, before he answered honestly.

"It seems we are trapped. The phone... doesn't work."

Saori slowly peeked out from behind her fingers, looking up at him fearfully. He swallowed nervously; suddenly aware that this was the first time he had ever seen her eyes. Even in the low, unnatural light, he could see that her face was flushed - but he was uncertain as to why. She looked like she was struggling to say something and after several long, painful moments of silence, she finally croaked out bashfully, "C-Could you come over here?"

Puzzled, he obeyed without question. Standing over her, he yelped when she reached out, grabbed his wrist and tugged him to the floor with more strength than expected. Turning, his back slapped against the wall and he slid down next to her with a thump, a little sore. She gripped his arm tightly, and he felt his cheeks flush lightly when it was forced into her generous cleavage. With the way she acted and dressed, sometimes it was hard to remember that she had the body of a supermodel hidden underneath. It was impossible to forget this fact now - not with his arm where it was.

"Ah - Saori - are you sure this is - I mean, my arm-"

She just snuggled into him even more, her head bowed. He couldn't see her face. She was no longer trembling and when she spoke next, she sounded a little calmer, though still frightened.

"Can we stay like this? I..."

Kyousuke somehow knew what she was going to say. He sighed, nodding his head.

"Sure."

They sat in silence for a while, absorbed in their own thoughts. Kyousuke checked his phone, hoping that he could ring and contact his sister, or even his parents - but to his disappointment, he had no reception. It wasn't entirely surprising, but it was depressing for sure. They would have to wait it out - hopefully, whatever the problem was, it could be fixed and fixed quickly. He didn't enjoy the notion of being stuck in there all day and night.

"Thank you, Kyousuke-san."

"Huh?"

She said it so softly he had almost missed it.

"For letting me... sit with you."

"You don't have to thank me."

He couldn't help but compare how their positions had been reversed. Normally, it was Kyousuke who thanked Saori for all she did while she brushed it off, maintaining that it wasn't required. Now it was the other way around. All those times, he had just wished she would accept his genuine compliments. Was she feeling that now?

"But you're welcome," he added sincerely. "If this helps, then I'm glad."

"...you are a good person."

Her honest words made him feel a little hot under the collar. Hearing such an earnest compliment was a little embarrassing for him.

"Has something like this happened to you before?" he asked gently, trying to ignore the way his face blazed with heat. "Or...?"

She nodded, her head now resting comfortably against his shoulder. He could make out the side of her face, but most of it was buried in his shirt. "When I was a young girl, I went to visit my father at work. I was in the elevator alone when it stopped between floors. I was trapped in there for most of the day," she revealed in a murmur, recalling her traumatic experience. It was the first time she had ever revealed anything about her past and her private life, so Kyousuke listened carefully, taking it all in. "For a long time afterward, I couldn't even get in an elevator - let alone ride in one. It was many years before I finally got the courage to try... I'm a very shy girl, so it was difficult for me to overcome, but I got there in the end... now this happens..."

Without thought and before he could question himself, he reached across his body and gave her head a small pat like he often gave Kirino. She started in surprise, going stiff - but unlike his sister who would swat his hand away in irritation, when he continued to pat her on the head gently, she sagged against him, all the tension leaving her body in one go. Stroking her surprisingly silky hair, he smiled softly, enjoying the rather intimate moment. He now knew something more about one of his friends.

"Well, at least you aren't alone this time, even if it's just me. We can get through this together."

"..._Kirino-san is a very lucky girl_..."

"Hm?" Kyousuke hummed in question. "Did you say something?"

"...are you going to put this in your next book?"

"Well, only if you wouldn't min..." he trailed off, mind going blank. "Ah - ahaha - what are you..."

Saori giggled. It was different from her usual giggle which frankly sounded a little perverse at the best of times. No, it was a charming sound, the very definition of cute - it was what momentarily took his breath away.

"_It's about an ordinary high school student who has this amazing __imouto__ that he dislikes - but you can totally tell he is __tsundere__, no matter how good the author is at disguising it,_" Saori recited word for word, imitating his sister perfectly. She really put her soul into it. Kyousuke grimaced as she continued. "_She's really popular, good at sport, intelligent and even has a part-time job even though she is still in middle-school. But she has a secret that she can't tell anyone, something that would bring shame to the family if it were discovered. Her brother finds out, of course, and he helps her keep it secret from everyone else. He likes to act tough, but you just know he totally liked helping her out. It's so cute!_"

"Urgh..."

"Kyousuke-san," she sang softly, grinning mischievously. She hugged his arm even tighter as she said, "Aren't you a sneaky one, hmm?"

"...you figured it out too, huh?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I wasn't completely sure," she replied, giggling again. One of her hands briefly left his arm to grab the plastic bag that contained his novel. It had been dropped earlier in the _otaku _girl's panic. "But it did sound _veeeery_ familiar. Your reaction now just confirmed it."

His head sagged in defeat, though he wasn't truly worried. It's not like he never thought this might happen, after all. "Kuroneko figured it out as well... you two are too sharp. My idiot sister, though... I thought she would have worked it out in an instant, but I guess not. Her love of little sister-themed stories really blinds her."

"I hope you have written some very flattering things about me, Kyousuke-san, or I'll be very cross with you."

For some reason, her polite manner of speech made it sound so much more threatening.

"Aha... hah... hah..." he laughed unconvincingly, causing the younger girl to sit up and frown at him cutely. He froze, staring at her uncovered face. All this time, it had been partially hidden behind her hands or half turned away, or even buried in his shoulder. For the first time, he could see her clearly and whole, even in the dim light - and his heart began beating incredibly fast. "O-Oh, wow."

_Oh my god..._

"Kyousuke-san?"

"A-Ah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Y-Your face..." he said stupidly. She blinked at him, bemused, before her eyes widened in horror and she ducked down, burying her face in his shirt once more. The force of the action pushed him sideways and he toppled over, the taller girl coming with him.

"Kyaa~!"

"Ah - Saori, no!"

Kyousuke bit his lip, chanting internally to stay calm. Saori was sprawled on top of him, her incredibly soft and curvaceous body pressing into him intimately. It took all of his will power to keep certain bodily reactions from reacting, made ever more difficult as she began squirming around, attempting to get free.

"Ah~! Kyousuke-san!"

"It's fine, just stop moving."

The younger girl went completely still. What a dangerous situation.

There was a loud clank and the emergency lights went out, to be replaced by the ordinary lighting. The elevator jolted and with a small shudder, it began to move once more. The two teens were so shocked by the sudden recovery that they remained sprawled on the floor, right up until they arrived at the nearest floor. The doors opened with a light ding, and Kyousuke, by virtue of being on his back, looked up in horror.

Kirino and Kuroneko were standing on the other side.

He stared at them blankly and they stared back, completely emotionless. Saori noticed the sudden tension in his body and propped herself up with a hand on his chest, looking toward the door. She froze at the sight of her two friends, so shocked at their sudden appearance that she forgot to be self conscious about her face.

Kuroneko was holding a plastic bag, which slipped from her grasp and hit the ground with a soft thump. Like the sudden sound was a trigger, Kirino's eye twitched.

"Ah, no," Kyousuke said hastily. "It's not what it looks like!"

Perhaps the worst words to say, ever. Kirino's eye twitched again and Kyousuke knew then that he was in for a world of trouble.

OoOoO

**Cow: **Saori needed some more love and here it is! This chapter was written by me, but the idea was given to me by Tk Macintosh. If you enjoyed it, please thank him for passing this on. He has helped me discover my secret love for Saori, so expect more chapters with her in the future! It had fun exploring both sides of her personality. Sofmap is a real store, but I have no idea what it really looks like inside. Hopefully I didn't get it completely wrong.

Also, for those who didn't know, I sometimes post small snippets of the upcoming chapter on my profile page. A sneak peek, if you will. If you ever want to know what I'm working on, you might just find out if you have a look over there.


	16. Drunk

Kyousuke knew he should have refused. It wasn't like him to do such a thing, after all - and it was illegal, at that. Even if most guys his age partook in such an activity, his father was a policeman, and because of that, he had grown up under strict guidance to avoid such activities. Respect for the law had been drilled into him at a very young age. While his father wasn't some insane law crusader like some people, there were certain things you just didn't do while living under his roof, even if those acts weren't happening under said roof.

Like play _eroge_, for one - even if this was never explicitly stated, as who the hell would ever think to set such a rule? Somehow, they had gotten around that.

Getting piss drunk before turning twenty was another, something that had been stated rather clearly. He wasn't sure if he could get around this one. Though in his current state, Kyousuke strangely didn't care.

It was all Akagi Kouhei's fault.

For some reason Kyousuke couldn't even remember, his friend had convinced him to come over and partake in some fine _sake_ and whiskey he had somehow acquired. Something about celebrating something - yeah, that's about as much as Kyousuke could work out. Normally, he would have made some excuse to get away, but he had been having a particularly stressful week. It hadn't taken long for Kouhei to get Kyousuke on his side.

After that, they spent several hours consuming alcohol in his bedroom while talking about anything and everything, from who was the hottest girl in their year to politics. They were regular party animals alright. Sena had been around but was content to observe their antics rather than participate - though he doubted Kouhei would have let her, even if she wanted too. No, she had just watched and panted feverishly, no doubt envisioning some perverted scene between her brother and her _senpai_. Even in his current inebriated state, her glassy eyes and flushed cheeks had been very disconcerting. Kouhei, on the other hand, had clearly enjoyed every second of his sister's attention.

He was such a _siscon_.

After finishing their stock, Kyousuke had bid his comrade farewell. It was starting to get late and it was time to face the music. Kouhei had suggested staying over the night, slurring every word, but he had declined. Being drunk made him feel reckless and oddly full of energy. As much as he knew he should be dreading meeting his father in this state, it instead filled him with such a thrill that he had trouble keeping himself from laughing out loud. He was an idiot, right?

He was moments from home when his phone began chirping at him from his pocket. Coming to an unsteady stop, he fumbled with his cell. He nearly dropped it twice before flicking it open and holding it up to his ear, feeling giddy.

"Hello?" he asked calmly, leaning heavily against a nearby wall. He waved at the person watering their garden across the road, receiving an odd look in return and a hesitant wave back.

"Kyousuke - its mom; will you be home soon?"

He had the sudden urge to laugh again, but settled for snorting. Loudly, he said, "Yeah, I'm just around the- just around the corner. I'll be home in a sec - what's up?"

He was expecting her to notice something, anything - perhaps how casual he was speaking to her? But she didn't. "Dad and I are going out for dinner," she explained happily, sounding excited. Well, that was awfully convenient. "Kirino has some of _those _friends over - they are having a small get together in the living room. Please look after the house."

Kyousuke nodded, forgetting she couldn't actually see him. It looked like he wasn't going to be caught after all. Kirino was having a get together, though? That sounded like fun. _Those friends_ - he understood that all too well. "Okay. Leave it to me."

Snapping his phone shut, he began marching down the street. He felt like running, which was weird - he never felt like running. Or rather, he hadn't since he was younger. Those were the days. When he had been good at track and field, like his little sister was now. Could he make it home without tripping and falling on his face? The urge grew stronger and stronger, until-

"Let's find out!" he said to no one, before getting down like he was in an official race. Getting set, he shouted, "Go!" and took off with everything he had, legs pumping wildly as he sprinted toward home. He knew he probably looked stupid but he didn't care, arms flailing. It was a struggle, as it was extremely difficult to maintain his balance while moving at such a frantic pace while smashed - but with a whoop, he made it all the way to the front door without face-planting once.

He then promptly slipped and crashed into the door with a thump. He shook his shoulder which took the brunt of the impact and felt no pain.

"Ahahaha," he laughed wildly and for no reason, straightening up and opening the door. Kicking off his shoes, he placed them in the shoebox before calling, "I'm hoooome~!"

"Ah, Kyousuke-shi, welcome back."

Saori was standing just outside the living room door, dressed in her usual _otaku_ outfit and looking a little surprised. She was one of _those people_ as his mother put it. They had probably heard him bang into the door and she had come to investigate the strange sound. Didn't she watch horror movies? He smiled at her widely, throwing out his arms in an exaggerated gesture.

"What a perfect sight to come home too!" he said dramatically. "If only you had that maid costume!"

Saori stared at him, apparently speechless.

"Where is my cute little sister, huh?" he asked, sweeping forward and looping one arm around her shoulders. She tensed in shock but he grinned at her reassuringly. "Kuroneko is here as well, right? Let's get this party staaaarted! Otaku Girls Unite! Yeeaaah."

He steered the stunned girl into the living room. Kuroneko was seated on the couch while Kirino was kneeling in front of the television, busy setting up the Playstation 3 - or rather, she had been busy with that. Instead, she was now staring at Kyousuke like he was some sort of alien. The two young girls had heard his proclamation and were a little taken aback, compounded further when they noticed his arm casually around Saori.

"H-Hey!" Kirino barked, coming to her senses. She leapt to her feet and pointed at him dramatically. "What the hell are you doing to Saori, huh? Get away from her!"

Kuroneko, like Saori, was speechless. A rare occurrence.

Kyousuke laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"Your arm, idiot!"

"Oh?" he said, surprised. He withdrew his arm from Saori. "Sorry, I didn't think it was bothering her. You should have said something, Saori-chan! Ahaha."

.

.

.

.

The three girls stared. Kirino's outstretched arm flopped uselessly at her side.

"Oh!" Kyousuke exclaimed, startling them at his sudden volume. He pointed at the coffee table with a look of delight. "Chocolate! Yes! Man, I'm hungry."

He walked over and vaulted the back of the couch, landing roughly and causing Kuroneko to tilt dangerously toward him. He reached out and steadied her, before he grabbed the nearest chocolate bar and tore into it with ravenous determination. Kuroneko flushed lightly as his hand remained on her shoulder.

"Buh..." Kirino said blankly, mind broken.

"Kyousuke-shi," Saori began worryingly. "Are you okay? You are acting... strange."

Finishing his snack, he hummed. "Yeah, I'm feeling great! Better than great! I feel awesome. So, what game are we playing?"

"You smell of _sake_," Kuroneko said bluntly, finally speaking up. She looked at her senior with surprise. "I didn't know you liked to drink, _senpai_."

"You _what?_" Kirino asked shrilly.

"Ahaha - what are you getting mad for?" Kyousuke asked, politely puzzled at the outraged expression on his sisters face. He would never tell anyone this, but he loved it when his sister got really frustrated and started throwing a tantrum - he wasn't sure why. But he didn't really understand why she was angry this time. "I'm old enough, you know."

"No you're not!"

"Ahaha - you are so cute!"

"Gah!" she choked, flushing. "What the hell are you saying all of a sudden? Are you _drunk_? You are bad enough normally - now you'll be super gross. You might try take advantage of us! Go die!"

"_I have the cutest sister in the world_~ I am blessed beyond measure."

"Hey, don't just ignore me! And stop saying such gross things!" Kirino yelled, her cheeks burning even hotter. "What the hell is wrong with you, huh? People might misunderstand! Just because you get drunk doesn't mean you can say those sorts of things."

"Hey Saori-chan," he turned away from Kirino, causing her to fume even more. "What game are we playing?"

Though she had been worried initially, Saori was now giggling rather openly, a massive smile on her face. "What would you like to play, Kyousuke-shi?"

"Anything is fine."

Kyousuke was really bad at games - it was common knowledge. Even simple games like Visual Novels gave him trouble, as he always seemed to encounter every bad end possible - though he was getting better at that. Fighting games, however, were probably his worst genre out of the lot. Even after playing _Siscalypse_ for longer than any sane person should, he was still terrible at it and probably always would be. He supposed he just didn't have the mindset to be a successful gamer...

...which was why he immediately shouted in triumph when he defeated not only Kirino, but Saori in a fighter. He leapt to his feet, pumping his fist as the screen flashed _victory_ for his character.

"Ahahaha!" he laughed, facing the tall _otaku_ girl. "I win again!"

Saori bowed her head, but she was far from angry. Her mouth was twisted in her strange smile she liked to adopt when she was about to say something outrageous, but Kirino beat her to the punch.

"What the hell is going on?" Kirino hissed, still sore over her loss. She clenched a fist in front of her in anger. "I know I'm not that good at fighting games - but I'm better than that idiot! And even Saori lost! What the hell!?"

"It appears that Kyousuke-shi has levelled up."

"Bow down to your superior!" he crowed.

Kirino flung herself across the room at him, snarling. "What did you just say!? Like hell I'll bow to you!"

Kyousuke moved swiftly, laughing as she chased him around the couch. Kuroneko was still a little thrown by his boisterous attitude and watched them go at it, somewhat dazed as they ran behind her. Kyousuke feinted once, twice, three times - throwing Kirino off balance, before he rushed by her and away into the kitchen. Kirino stumbled after him.

"Safe!" he called, like it was a game of tag.

"Grrr!"

"How does it feel, watching my back?" he taunted. "Hahaha!"

"Do you want to die!?"

"My, my," Saori said, enjoying their antics. "Is this the true Kyousuke-shi?" she asked Kuroneko, grinning deviously. "I never thought he could be so lively."

"He has broken free of the unholy chains that bound his soul," she replied to her friend, regaining some semblance of her usual composure. If she were standing, she would surely have struck some sort of pose to accompany her strange words. "_Kukuku_ - I always suspected, but this is beyond even my calculations."

"Ack - Kirino, let go!"

"Take it like a man!"

The two girls blinked, watching as Kirino applied a rather vicious headlock on her brother, mashing his face into her side. The older sibling struggled to free himself, but he wasn't having much luck, even with his superior strength. He shifted against her in his struggles and Kirino grinned, showing her fang.

"You aren't such a big loud mouth now, are you?" she boasted arrogantly, tightening her hold with relish. Unintentionally, his face came in contact with the side of her chest.

"Kirino, my face his touching your breasts!"

"_Kyaaa_~!"

With a high pitched scream, Kirino released her brother and covered her chest. Kyousuke scampered away, laughing breathlessly at her murderous glare.

"Wow - those were really soft."

Kuroneko and Saori nearly facepalmed at the blatant way he was baiting his sister, though were a little awed at the sheer audacity of his comment. Kirino's face turned red and looked like she was about to legitimately commit murder, her teeth grinding together audibly.

"You... you... you!"

"Now, now, Kiririn-shi," Saori said, attempting to draw her mind away from how she could maul Kyousuke. "Let's play more games. You can kill Kyousuke-shi later."

Kyousuke plopped back down in his seat, grinning at Kuroneko in a charming sort of way. The small girl flushed lightly, looking away shyly. Kirino, still pissed beyond measure, stormed over and kicked him in the shin. Satisfied with his cry of pain, she seated herself in her chair, huffing.

"I believe it is your turn, Kuroneko-shi," Saori handed the goth-loli one of the controllers. "Let's see if Kyousuke-shi can beat you with his new found skills."

The fight was closer than it should have been. Kuroneko was an amazing gamer - especially good at fighting games, in particular, though not limited to them. Her fingers flew over the control-pad with fluid ease and perfect dexterity, moving her character around the battlefield with grace and skill. Kyousuke, on the other hand, twisted and turned in his seat as he pounded at the buttons on his controller, gasping at every near miss and cheering at every successful attack, his avatar on the screen moving jerkily and at random.

Normally, he would have been defeated in seconds. Somehow, he was holding his own.

Kirino couldn't believe her eyes.

"This... is bullshit!"

Saori almost removed her glasses, thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her.

He still lost, but it was far from one-sided, over half her health-bar depleted. Kuroneko released a breath she hadn't even realised she was holding, frowning at her _senpai_. Her pride as a gamer had been dented a little at how long it took to dispatch such an amateur. Then she sighed, grinning softly.

"By chance, was the _sake_ you ingested brewed in the ninth heavenly realm?"

Kyousuke shrugged, adopting an exaggerated thinking pose. Finger on his chin, he nodded slowly. "Probably."

"I see," Kuroneko answered quietly, beaming at him. "That explains your new holy powers."

"Urgh," Kirino grunted, looking ill at their discussion. "Must you encourage her, idiot? We don't need two of you spouting nonsense."

OoOoO

**Moo:** Just... random. Yep.


	17. Concert

Standing in line was perhaps one of the most annoying aspects of going to events. It was boring, mostly uncomfortable and unfortunately, a necessary evil. The one good thing about it was that it showed just how popular something was. When people are willing to line up hours in advance just to get there first, you knew it must be good. If your tastes went that way, that is. Regardless, Kyousuke couldn't stand being in line for any decent stretch of time - Comiket had certainly not won him over in this department, but it was hardly the only place he had been where he had been forced to line up for stupid amounts of time.

Luckily, this time...

"Wooow, there are so many people, manager-san!"

"Yeah. They are pretty popular, after all."

...this time, he had backstage passes.

"And you don't need to call me manager-san. Kyousuke is fine."

"Ah - sorry, I forgot."

"It's okay. So, you must be pretty excited, right?"

"Uuuu~! I can't wait!"

They made an unusual pairing. Kyousuke was an average Japanese guy with black hair and a rather laid back expression. He was in his final year of high school and on the surface, was a pretty normal person. If it had been over a year ago, they would have been dead on - but now? He really couldn't be labelled normal anymore. The things he had done, the things he had seen, the hobbies he now had... well, they'd change anyone.

His companion was his complete opposite. She was much younger than he was, had bright blonde hair and despite her age, was incredibly pretty - pretty enough, in fact, to be a model. She was from England, so her accent was very noticeable, even though she spoke Japanese extremely well for a foreigner. She also happened to be an _otaku_ and loved to cosplay, in which she was incredibly talented, having won a rather big competition for Meruru and even gaining an official job through it.

Yes, Bridget Evans and Kousaka Kyousuke made a very unusual pairing.

Most would question how two such people could be acquainted and Kyousuke wouldn't blame them for being curious. They were so different that it seemed almost suspicious. However, because of Ayase and Kanako, the two had come in contact a lot in recent times, so it was almost natural that a sort-of friendship could develop. Through her modelling work - including her official cosplay of Alpha Omega, Meruru's best friend - and his part-time stints as Kanako's manager whenever she felt like bossing someone around, they got to know each other rather well.

But truthfully, not well enough to warrant being in each others company on this day. At least, Kyousuke thought so. He had been more surprised than anyone when the young girl had contacted him, essentially asking him to accompany her to an event. Bridget was a shy girl, so the whole experience had been a little surreal, but having no real reason to refuse and rather liking her company, he had agreed. The backstage passes were hers, which she got through work. Kanako and Bridget both got one each, but Kanako being Kanako, didn't want to attend, so she had given her ticket to Bridget - which she now had given to Kyousuke.

At first, Kyousuke had been rather surprised at Kanako's decision - that was, until he found out who was performing at the event.

He sighed. "Kanako can be pretty childish sometimes."

Bridget nodded earnestly, her ponytail swaying at the action. She was dressed rather modestly in a cute light blue sundress with a white cardigan over the top. "Kanakana-chan gets really jealous whenever I bring them up. I wish she would stop badmouthing them."

He chuckled as they flashed their tickets to a nearby security guard, being ushered through a side door. He could almost picture Kanako's face perfectly, scrunched up petulantly. "ClariS really gets under her skin."

And it wasn't just jealously, either. She was still fuming about the last event, where the two girls had talked to Kanako without revealing who they really were. It wasn't until the two middle-school girls performed on stage that Kanako released she had been badmouthing them to their face. The tiny girl had been rather embarrassed and pissed off after that.

This was only the second ever live performance by the two young girls. It was said that they were going to be debuting several new songs - something that had the internet in a frenzy and fans clamouring to be a part of such an occasion. Kyousuke was in an incredibly envious position - if his sister knew he had such exclusive tickets, she'd have lost her mind. He had gone to extreme lengths to hide such knowledge from her.

"Thanks for inviting me, by the way," he said as they were led down a narrow but well lit corridor. He smiled at the small girl by his side. "I know how - uh - privileged it is, to be here today. I almost feel bad. There are so many hardcore fans missing out on this. I even got to see their first show, as well." He had missed Kanako's performance that day because he had rushed off to pick up his sister, but they had arrived in time to watch ClariS. Kanako often reminded him of this fact, annoyed at his absence that day.

Bridget beamed at him, head tilted to the side cutely. "But you are a fan, right?"

Kyousuke couldn't deny it, even if he wanted too. Their songs were incredibly good. If there was something Kyousuke could appreciate, it was good music. "I suppose I am."

"Then you shouldn't feel bad," she explained cheerily. "You aren't taking it for granted."

Kyousuke nodded. After that, they were led into a rather large room with refreshments piled on several sturdy tables. Other lucky fans with backstage passes were present, chatting happily with their fellows. Kyousuke noticed immediately that he was almost the only male. Looking around, he spotted only one other guy - someone who was very familiar. Surprised, he blinked and rubbed at his eyes - but his vision was not deceiving him.

"Brother-in-arms!" the familiar person called out, having noticed Kyousuke's sudden appearance. He waved wildly from his position on the other side of the room. His call attracted attention from a few others, but they quickly turned back to what they were doing when nothing interesting happened. "I should have known I would see you here!"

Bridget gave Kyousuke a curious look, unsure.

"It's okay," he explained, sighing. "I know that guy."

Gennosuke Miura strode over, wrapping an arm around Kyousuke like they were old friends. His fellow third-year was wearing a season two _Meruru_ jacket, the back adorned by several of the characters from the anime. Bridget's eyes lit up in delight, a wide smile stretching across her face.

"Wooooow," she said. "So cute!"

"Aha, Kousaka-san!" Miura patted him on the back before releasing him. "Who is this fine young lady with you? Hahaha! _Are you on the lolicon route, you sly dog?_" the last part was whispered, the Game Club President's glasses flashing as his head tilted forward. It gave his friend a very disturbing presence.

"What are you saying?" Kyousuke hissed, cheeks burning in outrage, hoping beyond anything that Bridget hadn't heard that. What would she think of such an accusation? "Life isn't an _eroge_! Cut it out before I tell Makabe-san what you just said!"

But Miura wasn't listening, instead staring down at Bridget in shock. The small girl smiled nervously, no longer ensnared by the colourful jacket and noticing the odd reaction she was receiving. She stepped closer to Kyousuke and grabbed his arm, holding it against her body like a shield. Kyousuke looked at her in surprise, his chest feeling tight at the adorable look she shot at him in her panic.

He didn't think anyone could be cuter than his little sister. This was bad.

"Hey, cut it out, Miura-san - you're scaring her."

"But that is - how do you know - I can't believe it!" Miura said in a rush, tripping over his words, "Alpha Omega!" he exclaimed excitedly, nearly falling over himself trying to get a better look. In response, she pressed against Kyousuke's arm even harder.

"Hey, hey - I said cut it out!"

"Ah - sorry, sorry," the Game Club President apologised, finally realising he was scaring the small girl. He straightened up and chuckled, trying to look as harmless as possible. "I didn't mean to frighten you. My name is Gennosuke Miura - it is a pleasure to finally meet the famous Alpha Omega cosplayer! Your beauty is as captivating as always."

"Ah..." Bridget mumbled uncertainly.

"Oh?" Kyousuke made a questioning sound. "You know who she is, then?" he asked, thinking his friend had only thought they looked similar.

"Who doesn't?" Miura replied, as if knowing such information was normal and expected. He tended to forget that everyone wasn't immersed in the _otaku_ culture like he was. "The winner of the first official Meruru cosplay contest, Bridget Evans!"

That little outburst caught everyone's attention. It was a given that there would be some _Meruru_ fans present, considering that ClariS did the opening theme for the series, as well as several other pieces that appeared in various media involved with the anime. Kyousuke watched hopelessly as the news of Bridget's identity spread around the gathered people. The only saving grace was that they were all female and didn't get completely out of hand like certain _otaku_ would.

"Oh wow, she is so cute!"

"She looks just like Al-chan~!"

"She isn't even cosplaying and they look the same!"

Bridget shrunk bit by bit as the whispers continued. Kyousuke sometimes wondered how such a shy girl could get embarrassed over such things when she often performed on stage and modelled for magazines, but quickly reasoned that even though she could do such extraordinary things, she was still just a regular girl at heart. It was easy to prepare for onstage appearances and photo shoots - being suddenly thrust into the centre of attention without expecting it, amongst strangers...

Kyousuke sighed.

"Was that really necessary?" he asked his club president, "Now look at the mess you've made."

The bespectacled boy was saved from answering by a sudden increase in volume emanating from Bridget's female admirers. They had begun squealing and Kyousuke thought for a moment that they were causing such a ruckus because of his young friend, but they were facing not towards them, but toward an open door-

"Ah! There you are, Bridget-chan!"

Miura gaped in shock as Clara and Alice appeared, the duo that made up ClariS. Alice was the one who called out, waving at Bridget happily while Clara smiled softly. The pair were dressed in similar outfits the last time Kyousuke met them, their frilly white and blue dresses looking both flashy and elegant. The only difference was they weren't wearing the small hats from last time and the various jewellery. Their fans were whipping themselves up in a frenzy but the two girls stayed calm, introducing themselves politely and signing whatever was thrust their way. They were accompanied by two large men who made sure nothing untoward happened, constantly on the lookout for threats, and soon enough, the two girls made their way over.

"Is that Manager-san I see? Hello again!"

He hadn't expected them to remember him. He wracked his brain furiously, trying to remember if he had introduced himself the first time. Kanako had used to name often, but he never did formally introduce himself. He decided to do so now, "Y-Yeah. My name is Kousaka Kyousuke. Please treat me well."

Bridget was trembling. Like last time, she was nervous. She really was a big fan.

"Pleased to meet you again," they said in unison, bowing. It was amazingly cute.

Bridget was still clutching his arm, but not quite so hard. Kyousuke didn't have it in him to pull away, so he remained by her side as she talked with her idols. Her face was flushed with joy as they talked about her recent work as Alpha Omega, the two middle school girls praising her. Just like they were fans of Kanakana-chan, they were also big fans of Bridget. The young English girl swooned.

"Ah - Bridget-chan, you are quite close with Kousaka-san, aren't you?" Alice smiled knowingly, looking at where she was wrapped around his arm. Clara giggled in response. Kyousuke flushed a little and was about to correct the misunderstanding when-

"Not yet. I have a lot of competition, but I won't give up!"

Not yet? Competition? But Kyousuke didn't get a chance to question her answer, as it wasn't long before the two idols had to leave for the final preparations for their show. Bridget waved happily as they left, her smile almost threatening to split her face in half. Kyousuke also waved at them, sending them both a quiet thank you. They had spent a large portion of their time with Bridget, obviously remembering her admiration from their previous encounter. It was a nice little acknowledgement that Kyousuke knew his companion would treasure.

Members of the crew arrived to lead them to where they would be watching the show - from up high, in special personal balconies. Bridget looked startled at this, as their tickets were meant for the front row with the rest of the backstage fans, but the staff explained they had been moved by special request of Alice and Clara. Saying their farewells to Miura, they were led up to a well furnished balcony situated above where the crowd of fans was beginning to form - giving the pair an amazing view of the stage. More food and drink had been set aside for them, sitting on small tables next to a couple of comfortable looking arm chairs.

They were being treated like VIPs!

"Wow," Kyousuke uttered, almost rendered speechless at this turn of events. He didn't even know this place had this kind of setup. "That was really nice of them..." Kanako was going to lose it when she found out what she had missed out on. Being treated like a princess was one of her most favourite things.

"Kyaa~!" Bridget squealed in delight. "ClariS are the best~!"

He couldn't argue with that. They spent the next few minutes getting acquainted with their surroundings. While Bridget got seated, Kyousuke picked at the food, mainly the fresh fruit, savouring each bite. It wasn't often he got such perks. He was going to make the most of it.

The crowd below was really starting to fill out and generate noise. Sitting down in his chair, Kyousuke remembered Bridget's strange answer to Alice. What had the girl meant by competition? And not yet? How did they relate to them?

"Hey Bridget-chan,"

"Yeah?" 

"What did you mean before," he said slowly, "when you answered Alice-san?"

Her cheeks reddened cutely, turning a nice pale pink. But she didn't turn away like she normally would when she become embarrassed, pinning Kyousuke with unexpected intent. The crowd below was become increasingly unruly, as the show drew ever closer, the lights dimming in preparation - but his entire focus was on the small girl by his side, staring at him with such intensity that it somewhat scared him. He swallowed as her lips parted, bracing himself unconsciously. Whatever she was about to say was important, this much he knew.

"Welcome everyone!" two voices called in perfect unison, causing the crowd to erupt in vigorous cheers. The dimmed lights went out, plunging almost everything in total darkness, the only light coming from the cell phones of avid fans and the hundreds of glow sticks that were suddenly thrust up into the air, waving back and forth.

"Bridget is only young," the English girl said quietly, almost lost in the din. Kyousuke leaned forward. "But one day, I'll be old enough to capture your attention. So you better be prepared - because I won't give up without a fight, no matter how many other girls stand in my way."

The lights flashed and the show began.

OoOoO

**Cow: **This chapter was difficult to write and I'm not completely happy with it. Probably because Bridget doesn't have much time devoted to her in the novels. Her age is a big factor as well. But I wanted to write a chapter for her, since I don't believe anyone has yet. This is a more one-sided thing - she has a crush on him, while he sees her only as a friend, largely due to the age gap. At least, for the time being. Like she said, she is planning for the future.

I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but it will likely involve another character who rarely gets much love - possibly Akimi Sakurai. I have a fondness for that character. I got a little burnt out from releasing a chapter every few days. I've finished reading the novels, so I might start on a full-length chaptered story - but I'm unsure. It all depends on what I feel like doing at the time.


	18. Fireworks

The stares of ill intent were almost suffocating in their presence, causing the third year high-school student to break out in a mild sweat. Kyousuke was not often the centre of attention when it came to large crowds of people, but he certainly was now. In particular, the male portion were giving him looks that conveyed a certain feeling of disbelief mixed in with angry jealousy, while the female half were mostly stunned, though some were also angry for different reasons. While these looks were bothersome and rather annoying on the whole, Kyousuke really couldn't blame them. If he had been an outsider, he would probably be amongst them, staring incredulously at the spectacle he and his companions were causing just by walking down the stall-lined street. It wasn't that they were dressed in ridiculous clothing or wearing obscene make-up, or even acting in any sort of peculiar manner - no, it was none of that. The reason Kyousuke was the centre of attention was simple.

He was a plain sort of guy, dressed in a plain green shirt and white shorts. While he wasn't unattractive, he certainly wasn't what girls would call amazingly handsome. Not ugly, but not pretty either - just an average guy in average clothes. His companions, however, could be called nothing less than gorgeous. As they were models, it was expected - what wasn't expected was being in Kyousuke's company. Even more unexpected was the fact that they had each claimed some part of his body to hold onto.

Ayase was on his right side, holding onto his arm with a firmness that spoke of intimacy to their onlookers. She was dressed in a beautiful deep blue _yukata_ with white and purple flower design, with a maroon _obi_ around her slender waist. Tucked into her _obi_ was a small fan and in her hair - which was tied back in a loose bun instead of its usual look, with small wisps of her black hair brushing her shoulders - were a group of light blue flowers, tastefully arranged behind her ear and drawing attention to the graceful curve of her neck.

On his left holding his hand was Kirino, wearing a much more colourful _yukata_ of soft green and white vertical stripes, which was a remarkably fetching match with her amazing teal coloured eyes. Small red and yellow flower designs were spaced sparingly, adding a little more life and brightness, a fitting complement to her light brown hair which was arranged in its usual style. The _obi_ was a dark purple and like Ayase, she had an arrangement of flowers tucked behind her ear in a tasteful manner, red roses that looked remarkable against her slightly tanned skin.

Just in front of him but tugging on the hem of his green shirt was Kanako, dressed in a pitch black _yukata_ with polka dots of all colours spread across the fabric and a bright yellow _obi_, the sharp contrast drawing the eye. While Ayase and Kirino were wearing full length _yukata_, Kanako's cut off mid-thigh much like a _happi_, showing off her slender, yet shapely legs. Her hair was pulled back in her traditional twin-tail style, with red ribbons trying them up, but there was an extra addition - two pink lilies standing on each ribbon, looking just as cute as the girl who was wearing them.

They each looked like angels, taking pleasure in the company of some lowly mortal. That was why Kyousuke was being stared at from all sides.

If only they knew that this was far from the paradise they were no doubt envisioning.

Their closeness was a by-product of the massive crowds, each girl wanting to make sure they would not be separated and lost in the throng of people out to watch the fireworks. Each had explicitly told him that if he tried anything funny, he would be in a world of trouble. If this was an _eroge_, he would say they were just being _tsundere_, but this was real life. Kirino had made it clear that the only reason he was invited was because they needed someone older present to convince their parents to allow them to attend the festival. It wasn't like they _wanted_ him there. Though Kanako had mentioned she didn't care either way, since she rather liked having her first fan around. Kirino and Ayase had been rather miffed at that, having some quiet words with the smaller girl out of earshot. He was curious on what was being said, but didn't dare ask.

When they reached the end of the lane, they came upon a large park that ran parallel to the river. There were still lots of people here, but it was much more open, allowing them to separate at last and walk side by side. Kyousuke watched as small children run from one stall to the next, playing all manner of game and purchasing various foods and sweets, while their parents observed silently. He could remember his own childhood, visiting this place with his parents and sister to watch the fireworks. He used to love buying masks and wearing them everywhere, for weeks on end, until his father would grow weary of it, until his teachers forbade any sort of mask in the playground. Kirino had been the same, copying her older brother in everything he did - yet somehow, she could get away with it for a lot longer, their father always finding it hard to tell his daughter no.

He had the strange urge to run like he used to, which was weird. He couldn't remember the last time he ran anywhere unless it was an emergency, like the time Kirino's hobby was discovered by their father. He thought idly of purple hair and idol clothes, of a messy bedroom and buying embarrassing things. A grimace formed on his face, half-forgotten thoughts threatening to overwhelm him.

"Onii-san?"

Kyousuke blinked. He had stopped walking without realising it. Ayase tilted her head in concern, frowning. They were in front of a small stall, selling masks - was that why he had stopped? Because he had been thinking about the past? He shook his head.

Kirino and Kanako took a few moments to realise they were missing two of their group. When they did, they wandered back quickly - Kirino was frowning, but not in concern like her friend, but in irritation.

"What did you stop for?" she demanded of her brother. Ayase had stopped too, but he was the only recipient of her ire. "We have to get a good spot for the fireworks."

"I think Onii-san was looking at the masks," Ayase explained. Kanako perked up, looking at the stall curiously. "Maybe he wants to buy one."

Kyousuke's eyes briefly met his sisters. Kirino stared at him, face blank, yet he noticed her eyes widen the smallest amount at Ayase's words. He looked away quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed. He wasn't one to dwell on the past, nor get all sentimental over it. He wasn't sure why he had even been thinking of such old memories to begin with, and why it provoked other ones best left forgotten in trying to gain his attention.

"No, it was nothing like that," Kyousuke denied swiftly, still looking away. It was true, in a sense - he hadn't been wanting to buy anything, but then why had he stopped in the first place? "I was just lost in thought. Sorry. We better keep moving."

He started walking. He had taken about ten or so steps before he heard them catch up, their sandaled feet clicking against the pathway. He was expecting Kirino to say something but she remained conspicuously silent. When he glanced her way, she had a thoughtful look on her face which Kyousuke couldn't decipher. Ayase looked like she wanted to speak up, but was unsure how to broach the subject of his strange behaviour without being rude, while Kanako looked like her usual self - that was, until he noticed the smallest of frowns drawing down her brows.

He felt bad, making them worry over nothing.

"I was just thinking about the past," he spoke up, startling all three of them. They hadn't been expecting him to talk. He decided to be open. "Just childhood memories - we used to come here with mum and dad, remember?"

He had directed the last part at Kirino, who looked even more surprised at his admission. Eyes wide, she attempted to speak, but nothing came out, her cheeks flushing lightly, though he didn't understand why.

"I used to always buy a mask," he explained for the others, at their questioning looks. "I'm not sure why, really - I guess I just liked putting something on my face that I could hide behind. I'd wear them so much that it was surprising to see me without one on for weeks after the festival - usually, dad would take it off me, or the school. I never wore it to class, of course - but they didn't like me wearing them during lunch, either," he laughed, suddenly. "I was the class rep, so it probably wasn't the best sort of behaviour, but..."

He trailed off. He hadn't talked about that sort of thing in a very long time.

"You were the class rep?" Ayase asked, doubtfully. "That doesn't sound like Onii-san at all."

Class representatives were usually very motivated people. Kyousuke understood why Ayase was doubtful - he wasn't exactly the most proactive sort. Unless he was backed into a corner - or someone who was depending on him was backed into a corner. Like someone flicking a light switch, his whole personality seemingly changed on those occasions. First impressions often left others viewing him as lazy and not the most reliable person around - when he bumped into old classmates who attended middle-school with him, they were often shocked out how different he carried himself, like he was a whole different person.

"I don't know," Kanako spoke up, grinning. The look she shot him was surprisingly warm and without the usual teasing lilt to her voice, she said, "This guy comes through in the clutch - when it matters most. Sounds like class rep material to me."

Ayase cast a baleful glare at Kanako but before she could say anything, Kirino broke her silence.

"It's true," her voice was soft but it carried to her three companions, drawing their attention. "During middle-school, this idiot was their class rep. Hard to believe, right? With how useless he is now, it sounds like a bad joke."

Even though half of her words were insults, there was no heat, no vindictiveness, nothing. If anything, she sounded a little tired. Before the conversation could get anymore awkward, Kyousuke directed them to nearby booth selling small crackers and sparklers, buying a bunch of _senko hanabi_ for the girls to amuse themselves with. They tried to protest - Kirino and Ayase did, Kanako was quite happy to take them without complaint - but he shook his head, smiling at them lightly.

"It's no problem. Just take them."

Ayase and Kirino took them grudgingly, muttering about how they didn't owe him anything so he better not think they did. His mind once again supplied that they were being _tsundere_ but this was real life. Kanako just beamed happily and made a crack about Kyousuke knowing his place as her manager, to which he could only sigh and call her a brat fondly. For all the attitude she exuded, Kanako was probably the easiest girl of the lot to understand.

The closer they got to the water, the more crowded it become, families seated on blankets, couples nestled under trees - it was almost impossible to walk any further without stepping on someone and people were still arriving, just like them. Looking around, he couldn't spot anywhere they could sit. A large portion of the area closest to the river was gated off by event organisers, where they had set up their own little post to keep things in order.

"Urgh, so many people," Kanako muttered, stepping closer to her friends. "Where are we going to watch from?"

"Hey, watch it," Ayase snapped, someone bumping into her from behind. The boy apologised swiftly, but the model didn't seem convinced, eyes narrowed dangerously. Kyousuke hoped he hadn't accidentally touched something he shouldn't have or things were going to escalate quickly.

"Come on, lets move - we can't stay here," he said, playing peace maker, though he was telling the truth.

They moved with the flow of the crowd, unable to stop without blocking the way. They were jostled forward and away, and before they knew it, they were exiting the park, disappointed. They weren't the only ones, groups of people moving with them, talking about other places they could view the fireworks from, but there wasn't much time left and they couldn't just stand in the middle of the road. While there was no traffic to be seen, police officers could be seen, watching closely - there was no point in tempting them.

Before Kirino could lay into him about not getting a good spot, Kyousuke stopped. The road they were on run next to river like the park, but it was elevated, a guardrail running parallel to stop traffic from driving off the ledge and into the water below. Only, there wasn't just water below - there was grass and a pathway, a cycle lane for bikes. Kyousuke remembered that it run in front of the park, but it had been closed to the public by the organisers - over here, it was free of signs or barricade.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" his sister asked curiously.

"Come on, before anyone sees us," he said quickly, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

"W-What are you doing? Hey, let go!"

"Ooo, manager-san is getting frisky! Oho ho ho!"

"Onii-san, what are you-"

"Just come," he said impatiently, ignoring how soft her hand felt and continuing to pull his sister along. About fifty or so meters later, he located a set of stairs that led down the slope. Glancing around, no one else had noticed where they'd gone. "Come on, we can watch from down here."

The stairs were dark, receiving little light from the lamp posts, but they navigated their way down safely. Just as they were about to question his decision, the well known sound of fireworks popping drew their attention. Bright colours flashed in the night sky - orange, red, blue, purple, yellow and many more, dazzling in their beauty, illuminating everything in an attractive hue. Kirino, Ayase and Kanako gazed up with smiles on their faces, in awe of the familiar but no less enticing sight.

Kyousuke grinned at their reaction, before following their example. He wasn't sure how long he had been watching before he felt someone next to him, leaning against his shoulder. Blinking in surprise, he looked down. Kirino still had eyes only for the fireworks, but she was resting her head on his shoulder, hugging his arm loosely. He wanted to say something, anything to express his surprise, but then he felt someone on his other side, tucking in under his arm and wrapping one of theirs around his waist. Kanako grinned at him cheekily when he glanced down at her, before moving her attention back to the display wordlessly. Grabbing the arm that rested around Kanako, Ayase hugged it close, leaning against him and the smaller girl comfortably, a content smile on her face.

"Um," he said stupidly. "What-"

"Shut up," they all said in unison rather calmly, though their faces all sported healthy flushes that he couldn't see. "Just watch the show, _baka_."

OoOoO

**Cow:** No particular pairing in this one, inspired by a rather nice piece of fanart. I'll post a link to it in my profile, for anyone who is interested. I was supposed to be writing a chapter on Sakurai, but I got side-tracked by this - though she does make an appearance in Kyousuke's thoughts, for those of you who didn't realise what he was recalling in his deepest memories.

Hope you enjoyed. Oh, and Merry Christmas.


End file.
